


Moments

by JoMouse



Category: One Direction (Band), Zayn Malik (Musician)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artist Zayn, Bartender Niall, Blow Jobs, Bottom Louis, Cuddling & Snuggling, Discussion of Abortion, Dom/sub Play, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Firefighter Liam, Flowers, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hospitalization, Kid Fic, Kid Harry, Language of Flowers, Lots and Lots of Flowers, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Oral Sex, Rimming, Smut, Spanking (playful), Teacher Louis, Teen Pregnancy, Top Liam, just be patient, the dom/sub is really only one scene, the smut is not the majority of the story, there are a few scenes though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-06-05 16:53:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 96,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6713161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis Tomlinson becomes a single father to Harry when he’s just eighteen years old.  Five years later, they move to London and begin a life full of new people and little moments.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1 - 2009/2010

**Author's Note:**

> [](http://68.media.tumblr.com/f6b029ed4c4636fc46ec2134c90af494/tumblr_inline_o6klji9jIj1r525zt_540.png)  
>  ([image link](http://68.media.tumblr.com/f6b029ed4c4636fc46ec2134c90af494/tumblr_inline_o6klji9jIj1r525zt_540.png)) 
> 
> A/N: Posting schedule is Mondays and Wednesdays (Monday Moments and Mid-Week Moments - I’m a geek), but there are many different days that I have planned as “Bonus” posting days, so keep on your toes (or subscribe) to keep up with the updates. :D
> 
> Special thanks to my beta Jess for tackling this monster of a story. When I started writing this back in July of last year, I honestly wasn't sure it would ever be finished. I truly hope you all enjoy this and please let me know!
> 
> Another bit of special thanks to my beautiful daughters who are responsible for the cover. My twelve-year-old drew the picture with her non-dominant hand and my other daughter used the scan to create the cover. Couldn't be prouder of the two of them.
> 
> Opinions of the characters in the story do not reflect those of the people they are based upon and, if you've read any of my fics, you know what's coming next: Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Seventeen-year-old Louis Tomlinson leaned against the bathroom door, listening to his best friend, Delilah Queen, fidget around inside. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait out here?” he called through the door and heard her quiet denial. He shrugged and continued waiting, glancing at his watch. Only another minute or so, and they’d know for sure.

“Shit,” he heard muttered through the door. Then he heard sobbing. Louis’ chin dropped to his chest and he reached for the knob, hoping she hadn’t locked it behind her.

He was relieved when it turned. He stuck his head in the door. “DQ?” He kept his voice low, afraid to startle her. She was sitting on the floor, legs folded with her arms wrapped around her knees, face buried between them. He saw the stick in her hand and moved closer cautiously. His eyes fell on the indicator and his breath caught when he saw two pink lines.

Without a word, he dropped down next to her. He pulled the stick away and tossed it into the sink behind them before wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap. He kissed the top of her head. “Well, you know I’ll be here for you, babe,” he whispered. 

“I can’t do this, Lou. I’m only sixteen. This cannot happen.” Her entire body trembled as she pushed herself off his lap. She stood and began to pace. “I’ll talk to Mags, she took care of hers. I’ll go where she went.” She kept pacing and was mostly talking quickly to herself. 

Louis was having a hard time following what she was saying, but suddenly he figured it out. “What? No! You can’t do that!” he squeaked out. “There’s other options. Adoption. Or keeping it.”

She turned angry green eyes on him. “Absolutely not. There is no way I can do this.” 

Louis wasn’t even sure she knew what she was saying, but he had to keep trying. There was no way that she could get rid of the baby, she would end up regretting it; he’d already seen Mags falling apart over it and that was only a year ago. “What about the father? Don’t you think you should discuss it with him?” He knew he was grasping at straws, but to save the child, he was willing to do anything.

“It was a one-night stand, Louis. There’s no way I’m going to track down some quick fuck I had over the hols and tell him, ‘Guess what, you’re gonna be a daddy!’” She was shaking now, the anger and stress nearly palpable in the air.

Louis knew there was no use arguing with her anymore; he’d known his personal Drama Queen long enough to know when he’d lost. At least for the day. “Fine, DQ. Just let me know what you need me to do.”

Five days later, Louis stood nervously at Delilah’s front door. He’d knocked once already, but there wasn’t an answer. He really hoped that someone was home because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to get up the nerve to do this again. After a few more minutes, the door opened slowly and Delilah’s mother stood on the other side.

“Louis?” she asked, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Delilah’s not here. She’s at work.”

Louis gulped noticeably. “I’m here to see you and Mr. Queen, actually.” His voice was trembling, and he suddenly wished he’d taken up his mother’s offer to come with him.

Mrs. Queen looked confused, but she pulled the door open further. “We were out in the back having tea, that’s why it took so long to answer the door. Come join us.” She closed the door and Louis followed her through the house, trying to look natural when she glanced over her shoulder at him. “You look so serious, Louis. This is very unlike you; I have to admit, I’m a bit concerned.”

Louis tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. He wanted to reassure his friend’s mother, but he knew that there was plenty of cause for her to be concerned. Before he could say anything, they reached the back of the house and Mr. Queen rose from the table to greet Louis. 

“Louis!” he said, his voice loud and friendly and putting Louis slightly at ease. “What a wonderful surprise. Delilah’s at work, you know.”

“I know, sir,” Louis said, earning raised eyebrows for the title. “I came to speak to the both of you, actually. Delilah doesn’t know I’m here and, in fact, would probably kill me if she found out. Please keep this visit between the three of us.” He gave them his most pleading look as they both nodded slowly at him. He could see the panic beginning to shine in Mrs. Queen’s green eyes, the look so similar to the one he’d seen in DQ’s the previous week.

“This certainly sounds serious. Sit down, please.” The three settled at the table. “I can’t promise not to mention this visit to my daughter without knowing what it’s about.”

“I’m about to tell you something that she told me in the strictest confidence. I debated telling you, but my conscience weighed the options between telling you and risking losing her friendship, or not telling you and having something even worse weighing on me for the rest of my life.” He let out a huge breath. He’d practiced that speech with his mother for the last few days and was glad that it came out correctly.

“Oh dear, it’s drugs, isn’t it?” Mrs. Queen squeaked, turning terrified eyes to her husband. “She’s addicted. I knew it. She’s been so sick lately.” She was trembling as her husband took her hands in his and gave Louis a serious look.

Louis shook his head quickly. “No, ma’am. It’s not drugs.” He was about to tack on an “I swear”, but he didn’t want to be accused of lying if they discovered their daughter’s weed stash. He shook his head, that wasn’t the issue right now. “It does have to do with her being sick, though.” Louis tugged at his hair. Even after days of practicing, it was the next part that was hard for him to get out.

“Go on, son,” Mr. Queen said, pulling one of his hands away from his wife’s to lay over Louis’ that was still on the table. “I can tell whatever it is, it’s serious and weighing heavily on you.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Queen, Delilah is pregnant,” he said quickly and dropped his head. He’d heard the phrase ‘deafening silence’ before, but this was the first time he’d ever experienced it. “She’s pregnant and she has an appointment to get an abortion tomorrow.”

Mr. Queen rose from the table, his hand still joined with his wife’s. She was silently crying, her other hand covering her face. Louis felt terrible. “Mr. Tomlinson, I appreciate you coming to tell us this and the risk to your friendship that you have taken, but I think that it would be best for everyone if you leave now.”

Mrs. Queen reached a hand out to Louis, her head shaking. “No, stay.” Louis glanced at Mr. Queen who gave a small shrug and sat down. “I knew,” she told Louis, whose jaw dropped. “I mean, I didn’t know, but I knew. A mother knows.” 

“If she’s planning on terminating the pregnancy, why would you break her trust by telling us?” Mr. Queen asked.

Louis looked down at his lap, unsure how to proceed. “I don’t know if I could live with myself if I went with her tomorrow.” He knew that not everyone felt the way that he did, but he had to do what he felt was right.

Louis didn’t stay too much longer after that, but was relieved when both of Delilah’s parents gave him a hug when he stood to leave. They thanked him for his bravery and promised to do everything they could to keep from telling their daughter that he was the one to tell them the news. They were still saying their goodbyes when the front door of the house opened and Delilah came in.

“Louis?” she asked, her voice quiet as she looked at her mother’s tear streaked face.

Louis gave Mr. Queen a panicked look. “You’re home early, dear,” her father said. “Is everything alright?”

“I got sick. Olli sent me home.” She was still looking at everyone. “Is everything alright here?”

“I should say not,” her mother snapped and everyone turned to her, three identical shocked looks. “Is there something you need to tell us?”

“You told them?” Delilah hissed at Louis. “I can’t believe you told them. I will never forgive you."

“Louis, it really is time for you to leave,” Mr. Queen said, escorting him past Delilah and out the door. “Give her a couple of days to calm down. I’m guessing she’s going to need her friends these next few months.” He squeezed Louis’ shoulder gently before he disappeared back into the house without giving Louis another look.

“Yes’sir,” Louis mumbled before he headed away from the house, blinking back tears.

It only took a few days for Delilah to show up at Louis’ house. She was there to talk to his mum, but asked Louis to join the conversation. “I’m sure Louis has already told you that I’m up the duff. He seems to have a problem keeping his mouth shut.” Her eyes were narrowed at him.

“Young lady, you have been my son’s best friend since nappies. You were out of line dumping that kind of news on him and expecting him to shoulder it alone. If you are here just to cast aspersions on my son, I will ask you to take your leave.” Johannah’s voice was cold and even, but the hand holding Louis’ was trembling. 

“I’m sorry, Mum Tomlinson,” Delilah muttered. She shook her head, a few red strands escaping her loose bun and falling into her eyes. She brushed at them impatiently before continuing. “Anyway, my parents and I have decided that adoption is a better option for me.” Louis smiled and nodded. “I would really like it if you were the one to deliver it.”

Johannah’s face lit up. “I would be honoured, dear,” she told her. “Can I ask a question?” Delilah nodded. “Is the father going to be involved?” 

Delilah glanced at Louis from under her lashes. “I was hoping Louis would be there,” her voice was quiet and unsure. When she finished speaking, she trapped her lower lip between her teeth and looked away.

Louis felt his mother’s eyes on him, could practically hear the questions bouncing around inside her head. “You still want me around?” he asked, his voice just as quiet.

“‘Course,” she told him. “I’m sorry I got upset. I understand why you did what you did.” Her voice sounded a bit robotic on that last part, but Louis was just glad that she was speaking to him again. He’d missed his friend the last few days and had been worried about her and the baby.

“Then I’ll be there,” he told her. “What are friends for?”

After the emotional turmoil of the early days of her pregnancy, the physical part of the next eight months was a walk in the park. Delilah stayed close to home, avoiding the stares of her nosey neighbors. When she did go out, Louis was always by her side, attending every appointment and running any errands that needed to be run. He was there when the baby first kicked. He was there when the ultrasound tech announced it was a little boy. Delilah seemed indifferent to every moment, still insisting on referring to the baby as ‘it’ instead of ‘him’. Louis tried to be understanding, but he did everything he could to make up for her lack of interest, not wanting the developing baby to feel even one moment of not being wanted.

He knew how it looked, even his mother had made comments about the baby being Louis'. Louis would just laugh it off. It was no secret in the small city of Doncaster that Louis was gay, he’d never really hidden it. He knew his involvement with Delilah and the baby was making people talk. Delilah’s mother even had the woman at Tesco’s ask if they were planning to get married. The misunderstood notion that he was the baby’s father certainly cut into his dating life, but he was so focused on the baby, he didn’t really notice or care.

When the time came for the baby to make his grand entrance into the world, Louis was by Delilah’s side. His mother coached her through the hours of labor and eventual birth, sympathizing with her pain and cheering her through the whole thing. Louis was proud of his mother and of Delilah. They were the two strongest women that he’d ever met in his life and he felt lucky to know them. 

The first moment of anger he had towards Delilah was when she refused to hold the baby. “I’m not keeping it. Why bother?” she said. Louis just shook his head and took the baby from his mum and stared down at the scrunched up face, a dark curl, the colour so similar to DQ’s mothers’, escaping from beneath the blue knitted hat. He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Johannah took the baby from him to bring him to the nursery, sneaking in a kiss of her own; Louis smiled at the look on his mum’s face.

The next day, Louis was in Delilah’s room attempting to steal food from her tray when the adoption agency representative arrived. Delilah’s parents quickly read over the termination of parental rights papers and then Delilah signed them. After she was done, because she was still a minor, her parents signed the papers as well. Her parents were out of the room before the ink had even dried. 

Johannah came in holding the baby, ready to turn him over to the rep after letting Louis say goodbye. Louis could see the tears in his mum’s eyes and had to blink back his own as he took the baby from her. He looked to Delilah, but she had managed to get out of the bed and escape into the bathroom, refusing to even look at the baby. He pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead and whispered, “I already loved you.”

“Excuse me, Mr. Tomlinson?” Louis looked up at the rep. “I need your signature as well.”

“Mine? As a witness?” He was confused as he handed the baby back to his mother.

"In order for the adoption to proceed, we need both parents to terminate their rights." Louis just stared at him. "We have the mother's signature and now we just need the father's." He tried to pass the paper and pen over to Louis. 

Still confused, he looked to his mother who was watching him with soft eyes. "Why do you need my signature?"

"According to the verification of birth document, the father of Baby Boy Queen is one Louis Tomlinson, born December 24, 1991, resident of Doncaster. That is you, correct?" The rep was flipping through papers before pulling one out and showing it to him. 

"Loubear," his mother breathed out. 

Louis' head was spinning. Delilah had named him as the father. She had put him down on an official document as the father of a child he had no role in creating. He sat on the edge of the bed and glanced towards the loo. He could see Delilah peeking around the door, a small, wicked smile on her face. 

"What happens if I don't sign?" he asked, his mind still working through everything.

"Then the only parental rights terminated would be the mother's. The adoption would not proceed and the father, you, would retain sole custody to the child," the rep explained, a small twitch of a smile on his lips. 

"Will you please excuse us for a moment?" Johannah asked the rep who nodded. She took Louis by the hand and led him out into the hallway. They walked quietly to the staff break room and sat across from each other. Louis reached for the baby and smiled as his mum handed him over. 

"He looks like a Harry," he said quietly. It was the name he'd secretly been calling the baby for months now. 

"Louis, are you the father?" his mum asked, voice serious. 

He swallowed hard. He hated lying to his mother more than anything, but something told him he had to keep this baby. By some sick twist of fate, Delilah's lie presented the perfect opportunity. "That's what the paper says." At least that wasn’t a lie. He kept staring at the baby, at Harry. 

Johannah was quiet as she watched her son. Louis glanced up after the quiet had gone on for too long, surprised to see tears in his mum’s eyes. "We've already got five children at home.” Louis’ heart sank. “What's one more?" Johannah asked and Louis' brilliant smile and wide eyes nearly blinded her. "That's not to say I’m going to raise this child. He is your responsibility." 

“Harry. Harry is my responsibility,” Louis said, his voice filled with pride. They rose together and went back to the room to tell the rep his decision to keep Harry.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson became father to Harry Edward Tomlinson.


	2. Chapter 2 - September 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!
> 
> I've gotten some nice feedback on the first chapter. Thank you to everyone who took the time to kudo, comment, or contact me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG) or [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com). Please keep letting me know what you think! :D
> 
> Bit of a time jump here, sorry to those who were looking forward to baby!Harry, I hope you enjoy toddler!Harry just as much!
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis carried a box as he walked ahead of his mother who was being pulled by Harry. “It’s not much, mum, but it’s all I can afford right now. Once we’re more settled, I’ll start looking for a bigger place.” He pointed to the doorway at the end of the hall and Harry suddenly let go of Johannah’s hand and went racing down the hall. “Harold!” Louis shouted after his son.

“Not Harold!” his son shouted back over his shoulder as he threw himself at the door in front of him, knocking furiously. “Let Harry in!” he shouted.

Louis shook his head as he set the box down next to the door, digging into his pocket to pull out his keys. “No one’s in there to let you in, Hazza,” he told his son as he unlocked the door. He’d barely had the key turned when Harry was pushing the door open and running inside.

Louis stepped into the flat and gazed around, trying to see it through his mum’s and son’s eyes.  The door opened into the living room which held some inexpensive furniture, a sofa and a couple of chairs. A coffee table that wobbled slightly sat in front of the sofa, while mismatched end tables flanked it. A stand holding Louis’ small telly sat along one wall.There was a small dining room that held the table and chairs that his mum had given him when he moved. The galley style kitchen was neat, while small. You had to walk into the bedroom to get to the bathroom, but he figured that was a small concession for a decent flat not too far from where he was working.

Harry was already bouncing on the sofa. Louis laughed. He’d been in the flat for a week now, getting everything set up before traveling from London back to Doncaster to retrieve his son, who he’d missed terribly; they’d never been apart for that long. He’d been nervous about the move, but he couldn’t turn down the job. He’d always wanted to teach drama and the opportunity his Uni professor had found for him was a dream come true. The only problem was moving away from his family and truly being on his own with Harry for the first time in the young boy’s life.

“Where my room, Daddo?” Louis shook his head at Harry’s enthusiasm. The young boy had never gotten the hang of ‘dada’ or ‘daddy’ and insisted on calling him ‘Daddo’. 

“We’re going to share a room for now. That’s cool, right?” Louis had tried to find two-bedroom flats, but they were all out of his current price range. He felt like he wasn’t providing properly for his son, but he hoped by the time privacy really mattered to Harry, they’d be able to afford to move. It wasn’t that different from sharing a bed back in Doncaster because there weren’t enough rooms in his mum’s home.

Harry stopped bouncing and dropped down on the couch, looking thoughtful. “Sleepovers every night!” he suddenly shouted. Then he jumped off the couch and went off to explore. “I find!” Louis watched as Harry peeked into the kitchen and then opened a closet door before finally reaching the doorway to the bedroom and disappearing inside.

Johannah was laughing when Louis finally turned to face her, waiting to see what she thought of the place. “It’s perfectly lovely, Loubear,” she assured him. “You know Harry would have ended up in your bed every night anyway.” Louis nodded. “You’ve made it very homey.” She held her arms open and welcomed Louis into them. “I’m proud of you, son.” She kissed the top of his head.

“Bunkie beds!!!!” Harry shouted from the bedroom before hurtling himself back into the room and wrapping his arms around Louis. “Nana, we gots bunkie beds! I wants top!!” Harry was vibrating with excitement, his chestnut curls shaking and tickling Louis’ arms.

Louis smiled down at Harry before picking him up and bringing him into the hug with his mum. “I’m so glad you want the top, Harry. I hate heights!” he joked, shuddering visibly and making Harry giggle. “Besides, the lower bunk is bigger for my bigger body!” He tickled Harry’s belly, making the younger boy squeal with giggles. The bunk beds were made up of a double bed on the bottom and a twin on the top; he made sure to get one with railings so Harry wouldn’t fall out.  He was hoping this would help Harry transition from sleeping with him every night without being too big a change; moving to a new city and away from everyone they knew and loved was enough.

He heard a knock on the front door and looked at his mother nervously. “That must be him.”  Louis walked towards the door, feeling Harry holding onto his shirt and following. He took a deep breath before opening it and finding a blond boy, hands in his pockets, bouncing on his toes. “Niall?” he asked carefully.

A brilliant smile crossed the blond’s face. “That’s me. What’s the craic, Louis?” Louis laughed at the bright personality standing in his doorway while Harry peeked out from behind Louis. The blond squatted down, wincing slightly, so he was eye level with Harry. “You must be Harry!” He held his hand out and Harry shook it shyly. “My name’s Niall and we’re gonna be best mates.”

Louis chuckled when Harry ducked behind him again and the blond looked back up with a concerned look. “I’m sorry. He’ll warm up to you.” He moved out of the doorway, ushering Niall inside, Harry’s hands curled tightly in Louis’ shirt, tugging the neckline snugly against his neck. 

“Mrs. Deakin!” Niall shouted when he saw Louis’ mum and then engulfed her in a hug. “That’s from my mum!” He hugged her again. “That’s from me.” While Louis watched them greeting each other, he knelt down next to Harry and tried to untangle his hands from his shirt.

“You haven’t changed a bit. I’m so glad your mother told me you were living in London.” She pulled herself away from the boy, messing up his hair, a fond smile on her face. “How is Maura?”

“She’s great. She wants you to come visit soon,” he told her before looking down when he felt a tug on his trouser leg.

Harry stared up at him, his green eyes wide. “You know Nana?”

Niall started to crouch again, but instead dropped to sit on the ground, legs spread out in front of him, smiling when Harry mirrored the pose across from him. “My mum and your Nana are good friends. When my mum found out that you and your daddy were moving to London, she asked me to come over and say hello.”

Louis shook his head, smiling. That wasn’t the whole story, but he was glad that Niall was playing this off as him being a lad doing what his mum asked of him. Louis’ and Niall’s mums had been friends when they were younger, but had lost touch. Only in the last few years, thanks to Facebook, had they reconnected. When Johannah had mentioned to Maura that Louis had gotten a job in London and needed to find care for Harry, she had said that her son was looking for a second job and was great with kids.  

Before Louis knew it, he was texting with a person he hadn’t seen since he was a toddler and he had hired a full-time caregiver for Harry, sight unseen. Niall and he had continued texting, getting to know each other. Louis learned that Niall had recently had knee surgery, which explained the wincing when he crouched. He also knew that Niall worked part-time nights and weekends at a pub. Louis told him about Harry, his likes, dislikes, quirks, everything he could think of. He was nervous how Harry would take to a new person; he was sometimes very shy. Louis quickly realized after watching him with Niall that his worries were unfounded.

Harry was studying Niall’s face carefully and Niall sat still and let him look his fill, not making faces like some people do when stared at so intently. Louis smiled when Harry reached out to run a finger over Niall’s eyebrows and Niall didn’t even flinch, although he did smile a bit. Harry was very tactile and touching was his way of really getting to know someone. Once Harry was satisfied with what he saw, he let his hand drop to his lap. “Ni-All,” Harry tried out.

“Close enough, but you can just call me Ni, if you want?” he told him. “You call me Ni and I’ll call you…” Niall trailed off and tapped his finger to his chin as if deep in thought. “Harold!”

“Not Harold, Ni-All!" Harry yelled at him. Louis always called him Harold when he was in trouble, even though it wasn’t his name.  

Niall made a frustrated face and sputtered his lips at Harry.  “Then, how about I just call you Curly?” He reached out and ran a hand over the little boy’s hair, messing it up slightly.

“No. My name Harry,” he told him. “Daddo call me Hazza.”

Niall’s eyebrows went up at the ‘Daddo’ and Louis gave him a shrug. “Okay, Hazza-”

“No. Daddo call me Hazza. Only Daddo.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Niall. “You go bye-bye now.”

Louis hung his head. He had feared this would happen. If Niall left, he didn’t know what he was going to do with Harry while he was at work. He wouldn’t be starting school until the following year. He was looking to his mum for help when he heard a strange sound.

Niall was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands; his shoulders shaking. Harry looked up at Louis, eyes wide in panic. Louis just shrugged his shoulders and pointed to Niall. “What happened?”

“I told Ni-All to go bye-bye and he cry,” Harry said, his voice wobbly, like he was going to cry as well. “He cry, Daddo!” Harry’s voice was beginning to take on a whiny quality. “Make him stop.”

Louis gave Johannah a helpless look and mouthed, “Help me.”

Johannah was laughing a bit before she knelt down next to Niall and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Niall, sweetie, what’s wrong?”

Niall shook his head and let out an extremely loud sound, which, when Louis thought about it, sounded a lot more like an amused snort than anything else. He narrowed his eyes at the back of the blond’s head.  “Yeah, mate, what happened?”

Niall pushed himself to his feet, refusing to look up and headed towards the door. “I have to go bye-bye. Harry hates me.” Niall glanced briefly at Louis and gave him a wink just as Harry scrambled to his feet and launched himself at Niall’s legs.

“Oof!” Niall shouted as he fell to the ground, Harry crawling up his body to straddle his back.

“Shit, mate!” Louis yelped and dropped next to him. “You alright?” He saw actual tears in Niall’s eyes and was afraid Harry might have actually hurt the boy; he looked him over and winced when his eyes settled on his knee, remembering the recent surgery.

“Ni-All!” Harry yelled, pulling on his hair, trying to force his head around to look at him. “Ni-All. I no hate you!”

“You told me to leave,” Niall said, pouting his lower lip out as he rolled over, holding onto Harry so he was now sitting on his stomach. Louis watched him bend his knee gently a couple of times before letting his leg rest, seemingly uninjured.

“You come back!” Harry told him. “You go bye-bye now. Come back. With pizza.”  

Niall reached out and tickled Harry’s sides. “Oh, I see. Is that what it’s going to take to get you to like me? Pizza?”

Harry looked serious for a minute as he fought against giggles. “And cuppiecakes.”

Everyone in the room laughed as Niall pushed himself up to sit. Harry wrapped his arms around Niall’s neck and hugged him hard.  “And chockie milk.”

Niall hugged Harry back as he laughed. “You’ve got yourself a deal, little man.”

Harry pulled back grinning and pressed a smacking kiss to Niall’s cheek. “Like that.”

That was the moment Harry Edward Tomlinson became Niall James Horan’s Little Man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may or may not be a bonus update coming up soon. ;)


	3. Chapter 3 - September 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning and surprise! I warned you that there were going to be some days of "surprise" or "bonus" updates. Today is one of those days. Why today? It's Mother's Day where I am, so I figured not give a "Mother's Day Moments" update!
> 
> I hope everyone is enjoying the story. Please don't be shy and say hi here, on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG) or [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com). I will admit, I am very insecure posting this story and have been having a bit of a freak out over all of this. So, it's nice to hear that people are reading and enjoying it. 
> 
> Hope you all have a great day. Also, just because I updated today doesn't change that there will be updates this week on Monday and Wednesday.
> 
> Have a great Mother's Day and a great Sunday!!!!
> 
> xx-Joey

After a couple of hours, and the promised pizza from Niall, it was time for Johannah to head back to Doncaster. Harry wrapped his arms around her, crying into her stomach, not wanting his nana to leave him. Louis knew he was so used to being around her day in and day out; not knowing when he would see her again had to be terrifying for the young boy. It was pretty frightening, even for him, and he was a grown man.

Louis reached for him, but Niall beat him to it. “Hey, Little Man,” he said, untangling Harry’s arms. “I bought you a very special cupcake. Do you want to get it with me?” Harry nodded his head, but was still leaning his body towards his grandmother. “Now, this is a special ‘no tears’ cupcake. Only big boys can eat it.”

Harry rubbed at his eyes. “I not big boy,” he said, sadly, pouting out his lower lip. “I sad. I cry.”

“Aw, Little Man. It’s okay to be sad, but you don’t want Nana to cry, do you?” Harry shook his head, his curls bouncing. “Well, if she sees you crying, then she’s going to be sad. If she gets sad, then she’ll cry.” Harry wiped his eyes again and they could all see him trying to force a smile. “That’s better. Now, remember, if she doesn’t leave, she can’t come back.”

Harry was quiet for a minute, but then he waved over Niall’s shoulder. “Bye-bye, Nana! Loves you! Come back!”

Johannah blew the little boy a kiss, blinking back tears. “Bye-bye, Hare-bear. Nana loves you, too!” 

She and Louis watched as Niall took Harry over to the dining table and opened a box that had been sitting there since dinner. Harry’s eyes grew wide as he reached in and came back with a handful of chocolate frosting and sprinkles, shoving his whole hand into his mouth, transferring most of the mess to his face. Niall’s laughter set Harry off, and the last thing Louis saw as he turned his back on the scene was Harry pressing a very messy kiss to Niall’s cheek.

“Looks like he’ll work out just fine,” Jay said quietly to Louis, who nodded. “I’ll make sure to let you know when I make it home. Lottie is meeting me at the train.” Louis hugged her tightly and didn’t let go for a couple of minutes, feeling the urge to cry into her shoulder like he did as a little boy whenever something scared him.  “You can do this, Loubear. You’re a great father, and I’m always just a phone call away.”

Louis wiped at his eyes as he pulled away, nodding. “I know. I know. I’m being silly. We’ll be fine and we’ve got Niall now. I just hope that he doesn’t become our only friend.”

“Friends have never been your problem, love.” She gave him one more hug and a quick kiss on the forehead before calling out another goodbye to Harry who looked like he was about to cry again until Niall whispered in his ear. Then he smiled as big as he could and blew her a kiss. She “caught” it and put it in her pocket.

Once Louis closed the door behind her, he joined the other two in the dining room where they were both chocolate covered from hair to chin. “Well, I think someone’s gotten into the chocolate cupcakes,” he said with a grin before swiping a finger down Harry’s cheek and licking the frosting off his finger. “Bathtime for Hazza.”

“Baftime for me,” Hazza sang under his breath as he tried to lick more frosting off Niall’s face.

“I’m gonna head home now,” Niall said and Harry looked at him with wide eyes. “I’ll be back first thing in the morning, Little Man. I’ve got a big day planned for us while you’re daddy goes to work.”  Harry looked at Louis, lower lip pouting out.

“Just like when we lived with Nana,” Louis explained, taking Harry out of Niall’s arms. Niall grabbed some napkins and began wiping off his face.

Harry looked confused. “Ni-All is Nana?” Niall snorted as Louis ran a hand over his face.

“No, Niall is still Niall, but he’s going to spend time with you when Daddo has to work.” Louis was watching Harry, waiting for his lips to pucker and eyes to clench shut before a hollar was let out, but instead Harry just waved at Niall.

“Bye-bye, Ni-All. You leave. You come back,” he said, a proud grin on his face.

“You got it, Little Man. I leave, so I can come back.” Niall dropped a kiss to the top of Harry’s head before heading towards the door. Louis followed to let him out and lock up behind him. “I’ll see you in the morning, Louis. Sorry if I over-sugared the kid.” Harry made an upset noise. “The little man,” he corrected himself.

“I think it’s just what Hazza needed,” he told the blond.  _ What both of us needed _ , he thought.  “Thanks…” He trailed off trying to put his gratitude into words. “Thanks for everything.” Niall just gave a loud laugh before disappearing out the door, the sound following him down the hall and into the lift.

Once the door was closed, Louis got Harry into the bath, making sure to give extra bubbles to get extra giggles from the little boy. Harry used the suds to give the both of them beards and got soap in Louis’ mouth. While Louis was making faces and trying to get the nasty taste out of his mouth, Harry laughed so hard he almost slipped below the water. He grabbed the boy before he could and decided it was time to get out.  

Harry curled up next to Louis on the lower bunk, staring at the pictures in the story Louis was reading to him. His little fingers tried to follow along the words and every once in awhile, he would mouth a word he recognized and Louis would press a proud kiss to the top of his head. Once the book was finished, Harry tried to convince Louis to let him stay in his bed, “Just tonight, Daddo.” Louis shook his head and helped Harry into the top bunk and tucked him in.  He stood on the ladder to press a kiss to Harry’s forehead, the young boy’s eyes already drifting shut.

Once he was sure that Harry was sleeping, Louis left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so that, if Harry did wake up, he wouldn’t be completely in the dark. Once he was back in the living room, he pulled his laptop out, settling it on the coffee table and dropping down onto the floor between it and the sofa. He ran a hand over the smooth black of the laptop, happy to have it back again after forgetting it at his mum’s the week before.  

The first night he’d been in the flat, he’d hoped to take advantage of having a place to himself to get a full night’s sleep. He’d fallen asleep on the couch and been woken up by rhythmic thumping. It took him only a few minutes to realize it was coming from his neighbor’s flat and he identified it as a headboard hitting the wall, confirmed when he heard moans and gasps as well. Once he moved to the bedroom, the sound was fainter, so he didn’t have to worry about it waking Harry. 

This continued to happen just about every night, the voices changing, but the thumping remaining the same. He grew more and more frustrated, especially when he realized that watching porn on his phone was not nearly as satisfying as his laptop. That fact solidified when he dropped his phone on his face, giving himself a bruise and pretty much killing his arousal. He was hoping, now that he had his laptop and a sleeping Harry, he’d be able to relieve some of the tension that had been building up.

As he opened the screen, he cursed softly when he remembered that he’d yet to get any kind of internet hooked up. As the laptop whirred to life, he crossed his fingers that one of his neighbors had an unsecured connection he could “borrow” for a few days. He clicked open the wifi info window and saw that the few choices all had little padlocks next to them. “Fuck,” he muttered.

“Daddo, bad,” he heard behind him and turned to see Harry behind the sofa, trying to see over it; the boy was tall for four years old, but not that tall. The only thing Louis could spot was his curls.

“What are you doing out of bed?” he asked as Harry came around to sit next to him, leaning into his side.  

“Hurts,” he whimpered against Louis’s arm as he pointed to his knees. Louis sighed before standing to go into the bathroom to retrieve some pediatric pain reliever. Harry always got leg pains when he was growing; the first few times, Harry’s screams had scared him so badly, they’d taken him to emergency. The doctors assured him that the growing pains were normal and that some kids just felt them more acutely than others. Harry seemed to grow quickly, which meant his pains were more intense than others.

Once Harry had taken the cherry flavoured medicine, making an exaggerated yucky face complete with tongue sticking out and spitting sounds, Louis tried to get him to go back to bed, but Harry curled up on the couch and stubbornly refused to move. “Alright, Hazza, just until you fall asleep.” He pretended not to notice the small smirk that crossed the boy’s face, knowing perfectly where he had learned to be a tricky little shit from and loving that he was so much like him.

He turned his attention back to his laptop, trying to figure out what to do on it without wifi. He glanced over at Harry who was watching him intently, meaning there was no chance to pull up any of his saved porn. He was ready to just slide a movie into the DVD slot, but decided to check the wifi connections one more time, just in case, so they could use Netflix. As the info window opened, he groaned at all the little padlocks.

He started to close the window when his eye was caught by one of the names.  _ Shout penis for password. _  He snorted, shaking his head and muttering, “Shout penis.” He thought he was being quiet, but, just like the old saying, little pitchers have big ears.

“Penis?” Harry piped up. Louis had recently had to explain the differences between boys and girls and Harry was quite fond of the words. Louis gave him a look, trying to fight the smile that was quirking his lips. “Penis.” Harry repeated.

“Hazza,” Louis said, seriously.

“Penis!” Harry shouted, giggling, both hands over his mouth for a moment before uncovering his mouth and hollering, “Penis!!!!” He clambered off the couch as Louis reached for him. “Penis!” he squeaked as Louis chased him towards the door of the flat. “PENIS!” Harry screamed just as Louis clapped a hand over his mouth. 

Harry looked at Louis with wide eyes, and he could feel the boy’s lips moving behind his hand and heard the muffled word. Louis gave him a stern look, but then had to slap his other hand over his own mouth to hide his smile and keep his laughter inside. He took his hand off Harry’s mouth just as a knock sounded at the door.  He reached for the knob and as Louis opened it, Harry giggled and shouted, “PENIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” at the person on the other side.

“Harold,” Louis scolded.

“Not Harold,” Harry sassed.

“Looking for a password?” a voice said, and the two turned to see a man about Louis’ age standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his tanned face.

Louis shook his head. “Seriously?”

The man shrugged one shoulder, leaning against the doorframe, forcing Louis to take a step back, pulling a giggling Harry with him. “I figure if anyone is brave enough to shout it, they deserve a bit of free wifi.”

Harry was staring, his eyes going over the man’s crossed arms. Louis noticed the sleeves of tattoos and tried to subtly hide his more eclectically covered arms behind his back while still protecting Harry from this stranger. “You have doodles!” Harry shouted and tried to reach for the man’s arms.

“Doodles?” The man quirked an eyebrow at Louis before squatting down in front of Harry and holding an arm out. “You mean my tattoos?” Harry nodded and started to reach a hand out, pulling back when Louis cleared his throat. The guy gave Harry a wink before standing back up and holding his hand out to Louis. “Name’s Zayn. I live next door.” He jerked a thumb in the direction that the headboard pounding had come from, and Louis could feel his cheeks flush as he shook Zayn’s hand.

“Louis. This is my son, Harry.” Harry looked up at the man and Louis could see his mouth trying to work itself around a word.  “What’s up, Hazza?”

“Z...z...za...zay…” He huffed as he struggled to say their neighbor’s name.

“He okay?” Zayn asked, his face concerned. 

Louis nodded and kept watching his son struggle with the name. “He’s only four,” he explained. “He struggles with new words sometimes, especially names.”

“Four?” He looked down at Harry who held up four fingers with a grin.  “Isn’t it past your bedtime?” 

Harry pouted at him and Louis laughed. This Zayn did not realize that saying words like that may be casting himself as an evil villain in his Harry’s eyes. “It is, but he’s having some growing pains. Probably going to shoot up another couple of inches in the next few days.” 

“A regular bean sprout.” Zayn chuckled as Harry’s eyes got wide.

Louis realized they were still standing in the doorway. “Er, did you want to come in for some tea or coffee?” 

“Kind of late, but…” Zayn trailed off and Louis stood back to let him in. Harry followed Zayn, eyes on his arms, to the table. When Zayn sat down, Harry stood right next to him. “Vas happenin’, Sprout?”

Harry giggled. “Doodles, Z...za...” He huffed and concentrated. “Doodles, Zed.”

Zayn smiled. “I like that,” he said before holding his arms out. “Have at it, Sprout.” 

Louis watched Harry trace the tattoos on Zayn’s arms the same way he usually traced his while trying to sleep, whispering ‘Sprout’ to himself.  “Tea or coffee?”

“Whatever you’re having, mate,” Zayn answered, eyes still on Harry, a fond smile on his face.  “Cute kid.” Harry gave a small growl and Zayn laughed in response.

“Thank you.” Louis responded before turning to fill the kettle for tea.  “I think I’ll keep him.”

Harry gave an exasperated sigh. “You has to keep me.” He looked up at Zayn. “He has to keep me.” He went back to tracing Zayn’s arms. “No colours, like Daddo.” It wasn’t entirely true, Zayn had some red and yellow, but most of the tattoos were black.

“Daddo?” 

“Harry struggled with dada and daddy, so I became Daddo and it stuck.” Louis shrugged. “I like it.”

“What does he call his mother?” Zayn asked, looking around the flat.

Louis froze. He sometimes forgot that not everyone knew their story, that Harry’s mum was never a part of his life. He was trying to figure out what to say, but Harry beat him to the punch. “No. Just Daddo. And Nana. And DanDan. And Aunties. And Unca Ernie. And Ni-All.” Louis smiled softly that Niall was already included in Harry’s family list.

Zayn gave Louis an apologetic look, but he waved it off as the kettle let them know the water was ready for tea. They were quiet while Louis fixed the tea, only speaking to ask how he took it. Once Louis settled himself at the table, Harry sat across from Zayn, drinking his cup of milk while he watched Zayn.

“So, is Niall your boyfriend?” Zayn asked, bluntly, at the same time as Louis pointed towards the wall and asked, “So, is that your bedroom on the other side?”

Zayn managed to look embarrassed for a second before his cocky smirk was back in place. “Been listening in?” He started to lean into Louis, but Louis put a hand over his face and pushed him away.

“Do not even attempt to hit on me in front of my son,” he told the other man, laughing.

“So, if he wasn’t here, I could hit on you?” Zayn leered, his eyes sparkling and his tongue pressing against the back of his teeth.

“No hit Daddo, Zed!” Harry scolded. “Hitting not nice.”

“You tell him, Hazza,” Louis said, with a smile. “He’s always here, Zayn. It’s kind of what happens when you become a parent.” 

“Got that.” He took a sip of his tea, silent for a moment and Louis sincerely hoped he didn’t intend to pursue the subject. “Yeah, that’s my room there. I’ll try to, uh…” he trailed off, looking less confident than he had all evening. “The old neighbor used to yell at me all the time. He was a shit, so I kind of got in the habit of making it worse to annoy him.”  

“And  _ he _ was the shit?” Louis asked, smirking.

“Daddo, bad,” Harry muttered around a yawn.  

“Time for bed. Say goodnight to Zayn, Hazza.”

“Nigh’night, Zed,” Harry said, climbing off his chair and crossing around to Zayn’s side. He patted his arm before leaning on him momentarily. “I go bed. You go bye-bye. You come back,” Harry was mumbling.

“Sure thing, Sprout,” Zayn said as he ran a hand over his hair. Harry started to walk away when Zayn stopped him. “Oh, hey, you called for the password, yeah?”

Harry looked confused and Louis laughed. “You can just tell me.”

“Absolutely not, man. Sprout’s the one that shouted for it.” He leaned low and whispered quickly into Harry’s ear.

Harry looked confused for a second before looking at Zayn. “You mean like kitty?”

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson regretted moving in next to Zayn Javaad Malik.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The scene bringing Zayn into Louis’ life was based on a tumblr post I saw forever ago that stuck in my head. It’s also the scene that started this entire epic of a story.  One little image of kid!Harry shouting, “Penis!” and the creative ball was set into motion.  So, if the story sucks, blame the person who came up with the “Shout Penis for Password” tumblr post. :D


	4. Chapter 4 - September 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good morning and welcome to Monday Moments! I hope y'all enjoyed the surprise update yesterday! I was spoiled by my beautiful daughters with new crochet hooks and yarn. I hope everyone reading this had a great day as well.
> 
> Because I forgot on my last update, I have to thank my beautiful beta, Jess, for all of her hard work that she's doing for me on this story because, believe me, I'm a mess.
> 
> See you in a couple of days, lovely readers and please don't hesitate to leave comments!
> 
> Remember: Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis groaned when his alarm went off. He reached over to swat at his phone, but it wasn’t on his nightstand as he expected. He squinted his eyes open and saw Harry standing in the doorway with his phone in his hands. “Make it stop,” Harry was saying into the phone. 

“Hazza,” Louis croaked out as he gestured him closer. He took the phone when Harry got close enough, switching the alarm off. He was going to put it back on the nightstand when he realized that here was an active call. “Allo?”

“Morning, LouBear,” his mother’s voice came through around a large yawn.

“Mum. Is everything alright?” His mum had texted when she’d gotten home and he knew she wouldn’t have gone to bed right away, so this was pretty early for her to be up and out of bed.  “Why are you up so early?”

“Harry called me,” she told him. “He was telling me about someone named Zed?” Her voice was unsure and heavy with sleep. “Or I think he was.”

Louis went to say something to Harry, but he was already gone. He heard a crash from the kitchen. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Language,” Johannah said.  

“Harry’s loose in the flat,” he explained as he pushed himself out of bed. “I didn’t think about the fact that he’s such an early riser like his nana.” He walked out of the bedroom and spotted Harry sitting on the kitchen counter attempting to open a banana. “Mum, I’ll call you after work today.”

“Zed?” his mum prompted.

“That noisy neighbor I mentioned,” Louis said and his mum laughed at him before hanging up.

“Harold, you have to ask for help in the kitchen. You know that,” Louis scolded.

“Not Harold,” Harry said around a mouthful of banana. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. “I big boy. I get food. You sleep.”

“Why’d you call Nana?”

He blinked his eyes at him. “Miss her. No snuggle.” Louis’ heart broke a little.  Harry and his mum used to spend a half hour every morning curled up in a chair, reading a story. It was their snuggle time. Harry sniffled before moving to climb off the counter. Louis caught him before he stepped on the bowl of fruit he’d knocked to the floor earlier. “We snuggle.” Harry disappeared into the bedroom and came back with a book before taking Louis by the hand and led him to the couch.

“Hazza, I can’t snuggle. I have to get ready for work.” Harry’s eyes quickly filled with tears and he sobbed loudly. Louis heard a knock on the kitchen wall and swore he heard a muttered, “Sprout,” through the wall. He was about to give in when he heard a frantic knock at the door. “I have to get that.” 

He pulled the door open and Niall pushed past him. He went right over to the couch and dropped next to Harry, pulling him into his lap and cuddling him close. “Good morning, Little Man,” he said, his voice bright.  “Are you ready for our day?” Harry shook his head. “Why not?”

“No snuggle,” Harry said. Niall looked concerned and started to remove Harry gently from his lap, but the boy wouldn’t let go of him. “No le’go.”

“Hazza’s missing his Nana,” Louis said, and then explained about morning snuggle. Niall nodded and reached for the book that was lying on the couch. He turned Harry around in his lap, never letting go of him. He started to read to Harry.

After a couple of pages, Harry calmed down, and Niall stopped reading to look up at Louis. “Don’t you have a job to get ready for?” Louis’ eyes widened, and he ran for the bedroom.

Once Louis was dressed, he started rattling instructions off to Niall, who kept laughing at him and pushing him towards the door. “You’ve told me all this. We’ll be fine. My housemate’s a firefighter, so we’re covered.”

“Firefighter?” Louis said, staring at him. “You think there might be a fire?”

“Nah, mate. Just letting you know that we’ll be fine. You can call and check on us. I just need a key,” Niall reminded.

Louis opened a drawer next to the sink and pulled out a key. “Keep it. We don’t want to risk it getting lost here.” Niall nodded and put it on his keys while Louis watched.

“Okay,” Louis said, taking a deep breath. “Time for Daddo to leave, Hazza,” he called to the boy, who was sitting on the floor, a colouring book spread out on the table in front of him, his crayons spilling off the edge of the table onto the floor.

“Bye-bye, Daddo. You come back.” Harry didn’t even look up from his drawing and Louis’ heart hurt a little.

“Love you, Hazza,” he whispered as he turned towards the door. He was almost out when he felt arms around him.

“Loves you, Daddo. Miss you. You go bye-bye. You come back,” Harry said into his back and then he let go and ran back to his colouring book.

Niall stood behind the door, a big smile on his face. “Little Man and I are going to be just fine. Don’t worry, Daddo.”

“No, Ni-All,” Harry called. “My Daddo.”

Louis chuckled as Niall closed the door behind him. He looked up and saw Zayn exiting his flat, a beanie over his hair and an unlit cigarette between his lips. “Morning, Lou,” he said, falling into step next to him. “Sprout alright? Heard him hollering.”

Louis wanted to be angry with his neighbor for having had to listen to Harry repeating inappropriate words for most of the night, but he was grateful for the wifi password and he did seem genuinely concerned about Harry and not annoyed about being woken up by his crying. “He’s alright. Just adjusting to it being the two of us.” Zayn looked like he was going to say something. “Up until now, we lived with my mum, step-dad and siblings.”

“Ah, well, if you need any help, let me know, yeah? I’ve got two younger sisters, so I know some tricks.” He followed Louis out of the building, but stopped to sit on the stairs. Louis gave him a strange look. “Don’t smoke inside the flat. Years of conditioning at home, I guess.” He gave Louis a look. “I miss my family, too. They’re in Bradford.”

Louis dropped a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got to get to work, but why don’t you come over for dinner. I’m sure Harry would love to see you again. Just, uh…”

“I’d love to and I’ll watch the language. I guess I never thought one of my neighbors would be under the age of twenty.” He blushed again. His face turned serious. “Just so I know, this is just as neighbors, yeah?” Louis nodded. “Good, ‘cause as fit as you are, I try not to shag my neighbors.” Louis shoved him playfully in the shoulder, causing him to laugh, eyes disappearing into crinkles. They exchanged numbers in case anything came up before Louis headed down the street to get into his car.

The school year hadn’t started yet, so the building was quiet when he arrived and walked into the office. An older woman stood from behind the desk. “Mr. Tomlinson?” she asked as she crossed to the counter and extended a hand. Her smile was bright and took years off of her face.

“That obvious?” he asked, taking her hand and shaking it, hoping he didn’t appear as nervous as he felt.

“You’re the only new teacher this year,” she answered with a smile. “I’m Nicole Nelson, assistant to the Dean of Students. Please call me Nicole. Mr. Arthur’s out this week and asked me to show you around and fill you in on what you need to get accomplished before school starts.”

“Sounds great, Nicole. It’s nice to meet you. Please, call me Louis.” Louis followed her out of the office and down the hall to a classroom, laughing quietly when he had to hurry to keep up with her. She opened the door and let him walk into the room first.

He stared at the classroom, a smile fighting its way to his lips as he took in the small stage at the back of the room and the rows of desks facing the front and the large teacher’s desk. His desk. He set the box he’d been carrying down on the top of the desk and, immediately, took out a framed photo and set it on the desk, smiling down at his family.

Nicole chuckled. “You can tell a lot about a person by the first item they display on their desk.”

Louis gave her a smile. “My family is everything to me.” He picked up the photo to show her, watching as her eyes went over every face and her lips shifted into a softer smile.

Nicole stuck around for another hour, going over policies and procedures and letting Louis know what was required of him before the school year officially started. After she left, Louis started unpacking the box he’d brought and setting up his classroom. He hung posters of different plays and musicals that had been performed in London or on Broadway or even smaller theatres. He smiled as memories of attending, or starring in, each production came back to him. He remembered seeing Harry’s face light up when he’d taken him to see  _ Phantom of the Opera _ at Her Majesty’s Theatre. He’d tried singing the songs for a week afterwards, tripping over or skipping any words that were unfamiliar. The last poster he hung up was the schedule for the Doncaster Rovers, this one he hid on the back of the door, so it was only visible when the door was closed.

After the room was decorated to his taste, he sat down at his desk and worked his way through getting his school issued laptop set up. He had a small chuckle when he connected to the school’s wifi, remembering last night’s events. Although he had been horrified by Zayn originally, the more he got to know him and the more he thought about it, he could see the two of them becoming friends. He wondered if Niall would be interested in staying for dinner tonight to make things a bit less awkward. He would call him to ask when he took a break at -

“Lunch time!” Nicole’s voice called from the doorway, startling Louis from his thoughts. “Sorry, I know how focused new teachers can get and I didn’t want you to forget to eat.”

Louis chuckled. “I probably would have forgotten; I was starting to space out while trying to figure out the internet here.”

Nicole laughed and sat down next to him. Within a few moments, everything was up and running and she even had Louis’ logged in to start creating his classroom website. “Wow,” he said when she was done.

“Don’t be too impressed. My granddaughter, Jesy, spent the summer working with me to understand all of this nonsense. You have now seen the extent of my knowledge. Anything else goes wrong, the computer people are at this number.” She scribbled a number down on a slip of paper and gave it to him. “Now, do you want to join us in the teacher’s lounge for lunch or did you want to enjoy your solitude for one more day?” The smile on her face told Louis that either answer was perfectly acceptable.

“I actually need to call and check on my son,” he said, pulling his mobile out of his desk drawer.

“Ooh, a son? Which one is he?” she asked, picking up the framed photo. “No, let me guess.” She studied the picture intently, tapping a finger against her chin. Louis tried to hold back a laugh, she had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right. Ernest and Harry were the only boys in the picture besides himself. Finally she tapped her finger on Harry’s face. “The curly one.”

“That’s my Harry. He’s four. It’s his first full day in the flat and away from my mum, so I wanted to make sure things are working between him and his caregiver.” Louis saw her open her mouth and then close it again and he appreciated her not asking. “It’s just me and him,” he said quietly and smiled when Nicole patted him gently on the shoulder.

“I’ll leave you to it, but tomorrow’s lunch is a staff meeting. We’re having it catered and everything, so there will be no more hiding after today, young man.” She wagged a finger at him,  giving him a stern look that quickly melted into a smile before she disappeared out the door, closing it gently behind her.

Louis dialed the phone, relieved when Niall answered quickly. “Hey, Lou!”  He heard Harry shouting, “Daddo!” in the background.

“How’s it going?” 

“We’ve had a great day. We went to a bakery for breakfast and coffee.” Niall chuckles when Harry starts babbling about how good coffee is. “His coffee was hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint,” he whispered into the phone before Louis could get upset. “How’s work going?”

“Wonderful. Boring. Missing Harry,” Louis told him and then went on to tell him about Nicole and his classroom. Before he knew it, a half hour had passed and he could tell that Harry was getting cranky. “Sounds like it’s naptime.” Niall yawned in Louis ear. “For both of you,” he said around a chuckle before saying goodbye.  Once he’d hung up, he spent a moment looking at Harry in the family photo before getting back to work on his classroom website. His fingers flew over the keys while he ate the peanut butter sandwich he’d packed himself.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson truly believed he could handle life in London.


	5. Chapter 5 - September 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!!!!
> 
> If there is anyone out there reading this and I'm not just talking to myself, this is probably the chapter you've been waiting for - after all, what's a LiLo fic without the Li, right?
> 
> Hope you guys are all enjoying this story so far. Please leave a comment or a kudo or stop by and see me on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG) or [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com/) or both!
> 
> Much thanks to my beautiful and amazing beta, [Jess](http://archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyestelllies) for always being there for me and making sure that I don't have extra spaces or missing commas or things that just plain don't make sense! (As you can tell, she does not beta my author's notes.) I love you, babe!
> 
> As always: Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

A couple of hours passed before Louis’ phone rang. He was surprised to see Zayn’s name on the screen. “Allo?”

“Mate, you still at work?” Zayn’s voice sounded tense, and Louis felt his heart pick up speed.

“Yeah, why?”

“You might want to get home. I don’t know what’s going on, but I just saw a fireman go into your flat.” Louis jumped out of his seat, shoving things off his desk into his bag and heading down the hall to the office as Zayn continued talking. “Like, no alarms or anything, but Sprout’s shouting up a storm.” Zayn sounded genuinely concerned. “I didn’t know if you’d be okay with me going to check on him.”

“Yes, please,” he told Zayn as he ran up to the counter in the office. “Nicole, I have to leave. Family emergency!” he nearly shouted, and the woman jumped to her feet.

“Is Harry alright?” she asked, running around the counter and dragging Louis towards the door of the school, which would have been funny if he weren’t in such a panic. “Will you be able to drive? Do you need me to drive?”

“I don’t know what’s going on yet. I just need to get home. I’ll be fine to drive.” Louis rambled as he hurried to his car. “I’ll let you know what happened tomorrow.”

Nicole gave him a look. “You call up here the minute you know what’s going on, young man, or I won’t get a lick of sleep tonight,” she scolded.

Louis nodded absently as he climbed into his car. He drove as quickly as he could through the London streets to reach his flat, thanking whichever deity was in charge of parking that there was a spot open close to his building. He jumped out and raced inside, foregoing the lift and taking the stairs two at a time. He was surprised to see his door ajar and Zayn leaning in the doorway chatting amiably.

“Hazza!” Louis shouted as he shoved past Zayn, knocking him to the ground.  

“Daddo!” Harry shouted and launched himself into Louis’ arms. “I no means to start a fire!” he shouted, wrapping his arms around his neck and sobbing.

“Fire?” He looked and saw Niall looking sheepish, standing next to a fireman who was just in his boots, pants, a vest and braces. Louis tried not to gape at the muscles that were bulging on the man’s arms. “What fire?”

“You must be Harry’s dad,” the fireman said, stepping towards him with a hand out. 

“What fire?” Louis repeated, ignoring the hand, his eyes locked with the brown eyes of the fireman. He was trying really hard to focus, but when the fireman lifted his ignored hand and ran it over his curly mohawk, he had to swallow hard and try to remember his name.

“In microrave,” Harry whimpered. “Pizza on fire!”

Louis’ head was spinning, whether from trying to figure out what was going on or the adoring way the fireman was smiling down at Harry, he wasn’t sure. Maybe both. “What fire?” he asked again.

“First, I’m Liam,” the fireman said. “Niall’s housemate.” Louis nodded and muttered his name. “Second, Hareball here put pizza wrapped in aluminum foil in the microwave. It must have sparked and scared him.”

“Fire. I call 999!” Harry said, his voice proud. “I did right!” He pouted at Niall who was shaking his head and chuckling.

“Where were you?” Louis asked, glaring at Niall who took a step back, hands raised. 

“I was sleeping. Little Man and I laid down for a nap.” Niall’s voice was even and helped Louis find his own sense of calm. “He must have woken up and instead of waking me to help him with a snack, he helped himself. I am so sorry. I won’t ever fall asleep again.” Liam snorted and Louis gave him a look, getting a shrug in response.

“He just yelled, ‘Fire,’ into the phone and hung up. The dispatcher recognized Niall’s number from the numerous times he’s called when he couldn’t reach me on my mobile.” He gave Niall a look that made the blond blush and hang his head in shame. “So, she called me while another dispatcher tried calling back.”

“Ni-All phone rang. He answer. He get mad. He yell, Daddo! Ni-All yell at me!” Harry was glaring at Niall, and Louis was trying not to laugh.

“Harold-”

“Not Harold! I Harry! I Harry!! Harry!” Harry yelled and smacked Louis on the shoulders with each repetition of his name.

“Woah, Sprout!” Zayn finally spoke up, stepping towards Louis and holding his arms out. Harry glared at everyone else in the room before scrambling over into his arms. “Why don’t you and I go read a book while the grownups talk.”

“You a grow-up, Zed,” Harry muttered.

“Don’t remind me,” Zayn whispered back and took Harry into the bedroom, giving Louis a wide-eyed look over his shoulder and a lecherous look to the fireman’s, Liam’s, backside.

“I’m really sorry,” Niall said again and Louis waved him off; after all, it was just this morning that Harry had scaled the kitchen counter while Louis was still in bed.

“So, if the dispatcher spoke to Niall, why is there a fireman standing in my house in uniform?” He glanced over Liam. “Well, half a uniform.”

Liam’s face flushed as he looked down at himself. He crossed his arms over his chest; Louis thought that wasn’t going to help his situation at all because it just caused greater bicep bulge. “I was just finishing my shift when the dispatcher called me. I rang Niall **,** and he thought that maybe if Hareball was visited by an actual fireman, that he would think twice before calling emergency the next time.” 

“So, you just took time out of your day to talk to a child?” Louis asked, his brow furrowed.

Liam shrugged at him. “I like kids and Niall raved about him last night, so I figured it might be nice to meet him.” He glanced towards the room. “He’s a good kid. When Niall answered the door, he saw me and grabbed my hand to drag me over to the microwave. I think he was quite heartbroken over his burnt pizza.”

Louis had to laugh at that. “I’m sure he was. He really does love pizza and it was the last slice. I’m so sorry you had to be disturbed, but I’m really thankful for what you did.” 

“It’s not a big deal. I’m sorry we had to meet like this; I’m thinking over a pint would have been a bit more pleasurable.” Liam’s smile was big and Louis wondered for a second if he was flirting with him.

“Well, I certainly can’t complain about the outfit,” Louis said before he could stop himself, his face flushing as Niall guffawed.

“I agree!” Zayn said from the bedroom doorway as he and Harry came back into the room. “In fact, if you’re all done here, I’ve got a fire you can put out.” Zayn’s voice was practically a purr and Louis felt a flicker of jealousy at how easy it was for Zayn to flirt with this man.

“You have a fire?” Harry exclaimed, looking frightened and running towards, an equally frightened looking, but for far different reasons, Liam. “Zed has a fire, Pay-o **.** ”

“Pay-o?” Louis asked before catching himself. “Zayn is teasing, Harry. He doesn’t really have a fire.” He glared at Zayn, who had the good sense to look sheepish and mumble an apology.

“Let’s try this again,” Liam said, moving closer to Louis with his hand out again. “I’m Liam Payne. My friends call me Payno. And you are?”

Louis chuckled. “Louis Tomlinson,” he said, taking Liam’s hand in his and squeezing gently. “My son calls me Daddo.”

Liam chuckled. "That's quite a name. I'm sorry if we interrupted your work for this."

"Zayn called **,** and I'm glad he did, even if everything worked out." He looked over at his neighbor who was still ogling Liam. "It's good to know I have people looking out for us."

Niall gave an obvious sigh of relief. "Do you need to go back now?" He was looking between Liam and Louis. 

"No, I was heading home. Although, I should drop my uniform off and get some real clothes." Liam answered. "Then I'll meet you back at the house for dinner before you head to the pub."

"Zayn was coming over for dinner. You and Niall could join us," Louis jumped in, not wanting Liam to leave just yet. 

Liam looked between Zayn and Louis and, for a second, Louis thought he looked a bit sad. "Oh, no. It's alright. I don't want to intrude-"

"It's not a date!" Niall interrupted him. "It's not a date, right?" he asked Louis when no one said anything. 

Louis and Zayn shook their heads and Harry tugged on Liam's uniform. "You go bye-bye?"

Liam squatted down in front of him and gave him a gentle smile. "Yeah, I'm going to head back to the station and then go to my home."

"Then you come back," Harry stated firmly. 

"Maybe someday-"

"No. You come back today," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting out his lower lip. Louis and Zayn laughed before copying his position and facing Liam. 

Liam started laughing. "How can I say no to those faces?"

Zayn opened his mouth and Louis slapped a hand over it before he could make another inappropriate comment. "Why don't you go get changed and by the time you get back, we'll have food. Any preference?"

"Pizza!" Harry piped up. 

"No more pizza, Hazza. Any other suggestions?" Louis had to pick Harry up and cuddle him when he pouted. 

Zayn spoke up. "Indian?"

Louis nodded looking at the others for agreement or disgust. "Not too spicy," Liam spoke up. "I can't handle anything too hot."

"There goes my chance," Zayn muttered and Niall snorted out a laugh when Liam's face flushed. 

Liam made it out the door after only a little bit more fussing from Harry who was insisting that he come back soon. After he was gone, Louis called for takeaway while Niall, Zayn, and Harry sat in front of the television. Once Louis was off the phone, he sat down and started playing cards with Harry while the young boy rattled on about his day with Niall and Liam.

“Pay-o say no shiny stuff in microrave,” Harry told him firmly, his brow furrowed and Louis struggled not to laugh.

“Right, no aluminum foil, no silverware,” Louis said.

“No shiny stuff,” Harry repeated with a disgusted huff making Zayn snort and laugh.

“Listen to Sprout,” Zayn told him, smirking. “You’ve got a really smart one there.”

“Must take after his mum,” Niall said, earning a glare from Louis. Niall knew there was no mum and Louis knew he was just trying to be funny, but the comment still rankled.

“No, Ni-All,” Harry told him, getting up and disappearing toward the bedroom.  He returned after a couple of moments with a photo album and squeezed himself between Zayn and Niall on the couch. He started pointing to photos and explaining who everyone was. “Unca Ernie. Aunties. Nana. DanDan. Daddo.”  

Harry did the same thing as he flipped through every page and the boys nodded along, shooting Louis questioning glances, but he just stood up and headed towards the door. “I’m going to run and get the food and some beers. Be back soon.” 

Just as he shut the door, he heard the album shut and he mouthed along with Harry, “No mum. Just us.” Louis always felt sad when he overheard Harry remind people he had no mum.  He remembered when he was first born, he kept trying to get DQ to come see him, even if just for a few minutes, but she always refused. Harry was only six months old when DQ and her family moved away from Doncaster and no one had heard from them again.

When Louis returned with the food, Liam was sitting on the floor in front of the couch with Harry in his lap. They were reading a story, or rather Harry was intently telling the story to Liam who kept nodding and smiling. Louis watched, surprised and, he admitted, impressed when Liam would ask Harry about the story, encouraging the boy to continue talking instead of discouraging him like Louis had seen other adults do.

“You going to stand there all night holding the food or do we actually get to eat?” Zayn asked as he crossed from the kitchen to the dining area, his arms full of plates and silverware.  

Louis blushed when Liam looked over at him, catching him watching. He shook himself before heading to the kitchen and shoving the bags at Niall, who gave him a knowing smile. Louis surreptitiously flipped him off before moving to the refrigerator to get out milk for Harry.  

“Can I have a glass of that, too?” Liam spoke from right behind Louis, causing him to fumble the carton. Thankfully, Liam was quick and grabbed it before it hit the floor. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.”

Louis flushed and turned away, missing the hurt look on Liam’s face, mumbling, “It’s no big deal. Just jumpy.”

Louis dragged a stepstool over for Harry to sit on as everyone came into the dining room. Once everyone was settled at the table, Louis plated up a small amount of food for Harry, unsure how the boy would take to it. Harry had never had Indian before, so he’d made sure to order mild for him, and for Liam as well. He watched as Liam and Harry exchanged a look before both leaned over to sniff at their plates. After a minute of watching each other, they reached for their forks and lifted a bite of food to their mouths. While Harry stuck his tongue out to taste the food, Liam sniffed again. Finally, they both shoved their forks in their mouths.

Louis realized the entire table was watching the two of them and he wondered if the smile on his face was as fond as those of the other two boys. They all burst into laughter when Harry and Liam both dropped their forks and reached for their glasses of milk, gulping greedily. When they put their glasses down and wiped away identical milk mustaches, Liam turned to Harry and said, his voice tight from the spices, “Next time, we're getting pizza, Hareball.”

“You got it, Pay-o,” Harry said nodding and crawling up into Liam’s lap to give him a big hug and a sloppy cheek kiss.  Liam’s eyes met Louis’ over Harry’s head before disappearing into crinkles at the grin that spread over his face.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson fell a little bit in love with Liam James Payne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My oldest daughter put a hamburger wrapped in aluminum foil in the microwave when she was around three and a half. She came running in the bedroom screaming that her hamburger was on fire. It was the first time she'd ever used the microwave and her last for a few years. 
> 
> The same daughter called 911 when she was around five. I had some people over and she was in her room. I heard the phone ring once and nothing. Then it rang again and I managed to grab the phone (from her room - I didn't even know she had it) and it was a dispatcher. They were going to send an officer to our door if an adult hadn't answered that time (she'd answered the first callback and hung up on them).
> 
> She hates when I tell these stories and now they are immortalized. Lol. Mean mommy.


	6. Chapter 6 - September/October 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Moments Monday!
> 
> Going to keep this short, since I'm not really sure this thing is on *taps microphone*.
> 
> Thanks to my beta, Jess, as always for putting up with my needy arse and for being the best friend.
> 
> Disclaimer: Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Once school started, life became busy for Louis and Harry. They spent weeknights sharing dinner with Niall, who was actually a fairly good cook and enjoyed trying new recipes. Harry loved helping him, especially with anything that was baked. Every day, Louis came home to another delicious treat, and he couldn’t say no to either of them while they waited eagerly for him to taste everything. He was certainly beginning to feel the effects while buttoning his clothes.

Niall worked at the pub every Friday night and double shifts on Saturday, so Louis was pretty much a homebody on weekends. He hated to admit that he sometimes envied Zayn who would be out almost every night, coming home late and never alone. When Louis would hear Zayn’s flat door close, he’d retreat to his bedroom with earbuds to avoid hearing any unwanted entertainment from Zayn’s bedroom. Louis honestly could not remember the last time he’d gone out with someone, let alone the last time he’d shared a bed, at least with someone who wasn’t Harry.

Sunday nights became “Lad’s Night”. Niall, Liam, and Zayn would come over and they’d order carryout, or sometimes cook together, while watching movies or playing video games. Harry loved when the boys were over and would constantly be climbing on somebody to get attention or to steal bites of food. Louis loved that everyone just went with it, instead of getting impatient, but he kept waiting for the cancellations to start.  

His friends back in Doncaster had stuck by him until they realized that Louis and Harry truly were a package deal. There were no more nights spent drinking and pulling. Louis had even stopped smoking up because Harry had a touch of asthma and his health was more important than a high. Louis hadn’t thought much of it when the invitations slowed down, figuring his friends were maturing, but then he began seeing the pictures of his friends hanging out online, and it hurt knowing that he wasn’t included anymore.

As October passed and all of the boys were still showing up every Sunday, even the one when Harry was feeling poorly due to a bug going around, Louis began to believe he’d finally found the right group of friends. At one point, Niall showed up with a fifth chair for the table so that Harry could stop sitting on the footstool. Zayn painted Harry’s name on the back of the chair, but argued that it should say, “Sprout” instead, so each leg of the chair ended up with one of Harry’s nicknames on it.

The Sunday before Halloween, Liam was helping Harry bake ghost cookies while Zayn and Louis played FIFA. Niall was kicked back on the floor, sleeping. “So, Lou, you got any plans for Halloween?” Zayn asked after they’d paused the game to get something to drink.

“I wanted to try to find a Halloween party to take Hazza to. I think the school is doing one. What about you?”

“There’s a couple of clubs that are having massive bashes, so I’m probably going to go to a few of those. You should join-” Zayn stopped himself when Harry appeared in front of him with a plate of cookies.

“Ghostie?” He smiled as Zayn took a cookie and ate it, smiling back at the boy. “Daddo?”

Louis took a cookie as well before turning back to Zayn while Harry tried to shove a cookie into Niall’s snoring mouth. “Niall has to work that night, so I’ll be spending it with Harry, but thanks anyway.” He tried to keep his voice upbeat, but from the look on Zayn’s face, he was pretty sure he hadn’t succeeded.

“I can watch Harry if you wanted to go out,” Liam spoke up as he came to squeeze onto the sofa with Zayn and Louis. “I’m helping run the Halloween party at the station, so he can just hang out with me and play with the other kids.”

Zayn and Louis both looked at Liam and Louis was unsure how to respond. He was being presented with the perfect opportunity to party like the young man he was, but he thinks he’d rather spend the evening with a four-year-old. He’d never spent Halloween away from Harry, even when he was an infant. “Oh. Um.”

“Or Lou could help you at the party. That way he can spend Halloween with Sprout, which sounds like a lot more fun than what I was planning,” Zayn threw in, speaking rapidly and sliding to the floor, leaving Louis and Liam alone on the sofa. “Isn’t that right, Niall?” he said to the boy who had startled awake when he’d gagged on the three cookies Harry had succeeded in shoving into his mouth.

“I think spending the night with Little Man sounds way more fun than any club. Wish I could go to the station party instead of working the pub,” Niall muttered as he started eating the cookies he’d been choking on. “These are good.” Harry beamed at him.

Louis gave Zayn a suspicious look before he turned his attention to Liam. “Would it be alright if I came to the station party or is it just for kids?” He played with his fringe as he waited for an answer.

“It’s for the community,” Liam told him and Louis felt his heart sink a little because Liam sounded indifferent to whether or not Louis attended. “I think it’d make it even more fun if you came, though,” Liam finally said, leaning closer to Louis, his voice quiet and his lower lip pulled between his teeth.

Louis flushed before looking down at Harry who was crunching a cookie and had stolen Zayn’s controller, causing Zayn’s team to lose miserably. “How about it, Hazza? Do you want to go to Liam’s work for a Halloween party?”

Harry nodded, eyes on the television, before turning to look at Liam. “What you be, Pay-o?”

“I’m just going to wear my uniform and be a firefighter,” he said with a shrug. “I do it every year.”

“Leave the jacket at the station and you can join me at the clubs afterwards. You’d be a hit,” Zayn said and Niall smacked him on the arm. “Kidding!” He held his hands up defensively.

“Yeah, I’ve done that a few times, but I prefer the children’s parties to the clubs. Bobbing for apples beats puking in barrels any day,” Liam responded, laughing.

“I be firedog,” Harry said, eyes still on television. “We be team, Pay-o.”

The smile that had been on Louis’ face since Liam had expressed interest in him coming to the party fell quickly. “What about Daddo, Hazza? You don’t want to be Batman and Robin again?” They had worn partner costumes since the boy’s first year when he’d dressed Harry as a pea pod and Louis had been a farmer.

“Daddo be fireman. Pay-o be fireman. I be firedog. All team,” Harry said as he smacked Niall’s hand when he tried to take a cookie. “Three cookies. No more.”

Louis was trying to figure out where he could get a firefighter costume on such short notice while he watched Harry and Niall fight over the cookies. “I’m not sure Liam’s coworkers would like me dressing up like them.”

“They wouldn’t have a problem with it; I’m the only one who wears their uniform. Everyone else actually goes out and gets new costumes. It’ll be nice not to be the only one and I’m sure I can find a uniform that fits you,” Liam told him, looking intently at Louis’, causing him to blush.

“Why don’t you dress as something else?” Louis asked, curious.

“Why should I? I always wanted to be a firefighter when I was growing up and now I am one.” He looked thoughtful for a second. “Although, if you think your Batman costume would fit me…” Louis looked pointedly between his tiny frame and Liam’s muscular physique. “Yeah, fireman it is.”

Halloween night rolled around, and Louis was pacing through the flat nervously. He’d been lucky to find a furry dalmatian costume at the Disney store. Harry insisted on picking up a red plastic fireman’s hat at the costume store as well because that way everyone would know he was a firedog and not just a dog. Zayn helped Louis attach the hat so that it wouldn’t get lost.  At the moment, Harry was trying to drink water out of a bowl on the floor, getting more on the floor and his costume than in his mouth, while Louis waited for Liam. Zayn was kicked back on the couch in normal clothes, but with his face painted white, black circles around his eyes and smeared red lipstick.

“Relax. He’ll be here,” Zayn told him, patting the side of his leg and whistling to Harry. “Here, Sprout. C’mon and give Uncle Zed some cuddles before the party.” Louis laughed as Harry crawled over on all fours and hopped up into Zayn’s lap. He wasn’t sure when the “Uncle” part had come into play, but Zayn and Niall were now “Unca Zed” and “Unca Ni-All”. Liam was still Pay-o, and he hadn’t missed the hurt look when Harry had refused to call him “unca” as well.

“I know he’ll be here. This is just the first-”

“Halloween without your family, I know. Lou, you need to relax. You and Liam always have a great time when we’re all together, and I know he’s watched Sprout for you when Niall got called into work,” Zayn said while tickling Harry’s belly.

“I know.” Louis took a deep breath before dropping next to Zayn on the couch. “Hazza, why don’t you go into our room and get your bucket?” Harry gave a “woof” and crawled off of Zayn and out of the room. “Do you think Liam thinks this is a date?” Louis asked Zayn as soon as Harry was out of earshot.

Zayn’s eyebrows shot up and he choked on his own saliva. “Do  _ you _ think it’s a date?” Louis shrugged. “Do you  _ want _ it to be a date?” Another shrug. Zayn pulled at his lower lip for a minute, cursing when his fingers came away covered in red and white paint. “Shit, mate. I gotta go fix this and finish getting ready to leave. I hate to leave you in a crisis.”

“Chicken,” Louis muttered, earning a shy smile back and a shrug before Zayn pulled the door open and nearly ran into Liam, whose hand was poised to knock.

“Payno!” Zayn said, looking him over and then glancing back at Louis with a mischievous smile. “Definitely.” He hurried into the hall and it was only a moment later they heard his flat door opening and slamming shut.

Liam walked through the door, closing it behind himself. Harry came scrambling out of the hallway on all fours, the handle of his bucket clamped between his teeth. Liam squatted down just as Harry launched himself at him, knocking him to the ground and hitting him in the nose with the bucket. “Fu…” Liam started and trailed off as he pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at Louis who was torn between laughing and crying.

Harry dropped his bucket and started licking at Liam’s face and barking excitedly. Louis finally recovered and reached down to pull the hood of his costume off his head. “Alright, I need my Hazza back. We have to make sure Uncle Payno isn’t hurt.”

“No,” Harry said before looking at Liam. “Pay-o okay?”

Liam nodded as he pushed his upper body up onto his elbows and looked down at Harry sitting on his stomach. “I’m fine, Hareball,” he said, his voice not as bright as it usually was and Louis gave him a concerned look. “Uncle Payno is fine,” he continued.

“No unca,” Harry told him, crawling off his stomach and heading back towards his bedroom.  

Louis watched his son leave before turning his attention back to Liam who was still on the floor, but had laid back down with his arm thrown over his eyes. He sat on the floor next to him and touched his arm, surprised when Liam just shook his head, refusing to look at him. “Do you need ice?”

“Wouldn’t hurt,” he mumbled and Louis got up to head into the kitchen. He wrapped some ice into a towel and closed the door, jumping slightly when he found Liam standing right behind him. “I have to stop sneaking up on you. Sorry.” He reached out for the towel before moving over to the table and dropping into one of the chairs.

Louis took the makeshift ice pack away from him and gently forced Liam’s head back, placing the towel carefully over the bridge of his nose. He apologized when Liam winced. Looking down at him, he finally saw the tears in Liam’s eyes. “He got you good, huh?”

“It’s not that bad.” Liam shrugged, refusing to meet Louis’ gaze. After a couple moments of silence, Liam mumbled, “Why does he hate me?”

“Harry?” Liam nodded and Louis sighed. “He doesn’t hate you. You're all he ever talks about. When you’re not around, he asks when you’re coming back. He wanted to do team costumes with you. In fact, I’m a bit jealous.” Louis ran a hand over Liam’s hair, trying to comfort his friend.

“Then, why won’t he call me uncle? He calls Niall and Zayn uncle. He won’t call me anything.” Liam pushed Louis’ hands away and put his head down onto the table, hiding in his folded arms.

Louis sat down in another chair and slid over next to him. “I don’t know, Li. I really don’t. I’ve tried to get him to call you uncle, but he refuses. Maybe we should tell him it bothers you that he doesn’t. He’s pretty sen-”

“No, Lou. I don’t want to force him to call me anything. I just want him to like me,” Liam mumbled into his arms, but Louis understood him well enough. Liam sat up in the chair, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling.

“He does like you. I told you he does. He’s four and has a strong, strange mind,” Louis tried to reassure Liam, placing a hand on his arm. “Why is this so important to you?”

“I need him to like me...” Liam said and then trailed off the sentence by muttering into his hand.

“I didn’t quite catch that,” Louis said, smiling gently and rubbing his hand up and down Liam’s arm, trying to ignore the fact that he was touching Liam’s taut bicep.

Liam’s face was flushed as he turned his gaze to Louis, looking serious and terrified at the same time. “I need him to like me because I want to ask his father out.” Liam stood suddenly and hurried away from the kitchen towards the door, leaving Louis sitting in stunned silence.

He heard Liam open the door before he managed to stand up. "Wait! What?" he yelped just as Harry raced up to Liam.

"Time to go?" He looked over at Louis as he caught up to the two of them in the doorway.  "C'mon, Daddo! We go now."

Louis gave Liam a look, taking in his flushed cheeks and darting eyes. "I don't think we should-"

"Your dad isn’t ready yet, Hareball." Louis started to speak, but Liam bent over like he was going to say something else to Harry and Louis pretended not to see the small bunch of flowers that Liam tried to kick behind himself.  

Harry spotted them, though. “Flowers!” He scooped them up and pressed his nose into them. “Pretty.” He stood on tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Liam’s arm. “Thank you, Pay-o.” Liam and Louis watched while Harry unwrapped the flowers and then started placing them into the bowl on the floor he’d been drinking out of earlier.

“That was really nice of you,” Louis told Liam as he watched Liam shift from foot to foot. “Where’s my costume?”

“At the station, actually.” He shuffled his feet some more, eyes locked on them before finally looking up at Louis. “If I’ve made this awkward, you don’t-”

Louis cut him off by holding a hand up. He glanced over his shoulder at Harry who had his kidproof digital camera and was trying to take pictures of the flowers. Quickly, Louis pressed a kiss to Liam’s cheek. “I want to go. Harry wants to go.” He grinned at Liam who still looked like a scared rabbit. “Were those flowers really for Harry?” Liam blushed even harder as he ran a hand over the spot Louis had kissed and shook his head. “Thank you, Liam. They’re beautiful.” He started towards the bedroom. “Why’s my costume at the station? Where’s yours?”

“Still at the station. It’s a lot easier to put them on there. Just wear what you’re wearing.” Louis looked down at himself, taking in his ripped skinny jeans and Vans shirt. “I usually wear a vest because those suits get hot, so you might want to grab one.” Liam was still staring at Louis, who was smiling and remembering just how hot Liam had looked that first day in his flat wearing a vest and his uniform trousers.

“Daddo, look,” Harry said, showing Louis the display on the back of the camera and distracting him from staring at Liam.

“Those pictures are lovely. Make sure you thank Uncle Payno for the flowers, Hazza.”

“No. Not Unca Pay-o,” Harry argued, his lip pouting out.

“Why not?” Louis finally asked when he saw Liam’s smile droop a little bit.

“Pay-o not unca,” Harry groaned out before walking over and climbing up Liam’s legs, using the collar of his shirt to pull himself into his arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You my best fwend, Pay-o,” Harry told him, laying his head on his shoulder as Liam looked at Louis with completely different tears in his eyes.

That was the moment Harry Edward Tomlinson completely stole Liam James Payne’s heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLe9)  
> [image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLe9)  
>  Isn't Harry adorable in his Halloween Costume??
> 
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLeE)  
> [image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLeE)  
> These are the flowers that Liam brought Louis.


	7. Chapter 7 - October 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments. 
> 
> Thank you for the comments, you guys. I'm having a really crappy life right now, so they helped immensely. 
> 
> Big thanks (as always) to my beta, Jess, who comes through in a pinch and puts up with my overwhelming demands with a smile on her face (or, at least, I like to think she's smiling since I can't really tell over text, she could be cursing my very existence - I would deserve it).
> 
> And, of course: Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

When they arrived at the fire station, Liam led Louis and Harry into the living quarters on the upper level so that he and Louis could put their costumes on. Harry climbed onto the lower bunk that Liam pointed to and looked around with wide eyes. “Where Unca Ni-All sleep?” he asked.

“At his house,” Louis told him as he wrestled with the heavy pants, nearly falling over twice before Liam grasped his upper arm to hold him steady so he could pull them up to his waist. “He lives with Liam, remember?”

“Pay-o lives here,” Harry said, pointing to the bunk he was sitting on. Up towards the top, next to the pillow, was a stuffed puppy that Harry had given to Liam shortly after they’d met. Louis glanced at Liam, face flushed red, giving him a small smile. 

“I only sleep here sometimes, Hareball.” Liam explained, kneeling next to the bed and picking up the stuffed animal, making it give Harry kisses. “This little guy keeps me company because I don’t have Niall here.” 

“You silly,” Harry told him, but grabbed the stuffed animal and gave it a big hug and kiss before laying it on Liam’s pillow and tucking the blanket around it. “Keep Pay-o safe,” he whispered into the dog’s ear.

Liam stood and turned away from the bed, blinking rapidly, but Louis saw a tear escape before he composed himself. “We should...” he started, his voice rough, before clearing his throat. “We should finish getting ready and get downstairs. People will be arriving soon.”

Louis and Liam hurried through putting the rest of their costumes on while Harry watched from the bed, laughing when the sleeves on Louis’ jacket hung way past his fingertips. Liam chuckled before handing him the jacket he was holding and taking the one Louis had been wearing. “This one is a bit smaller,” he said, earning a playful glare from Louis and a giggle from Harry.

Once their costumes were on, Harry hopped off the bed and crawled over to Louis, sitting at his feet and barking up at him. Louis scratched behind his costume ears. “You gotta be a two-legged dog today, Hazza.” Harry pouted, but climbed to his feet and swung his bucket, taking Louis’ hand in the same one, before reaching for one of Liam’s.

Once they were downstairs, Louis helped Andy, one of the other firemen, set up the snack table while Harry and Liam were turning on the flashing lights in the jack o'lanterns. Louis smiled when Liam tried to put one of the pumpkins on Harry's head, causing the younger boy to giggle until Liam stopped to pick him up and swing him around. 

"Li's great with kids," Andy said as he attempted to stack marshmallow treats on a plate, losing one or two to the floor. 

Louis smiled. "He seems to be good with people, as a whole."

"He's the greatest guy I know," Andy responded, his voice fond. He looked thoughtful for a moment, studying Louis before giving a small nod as if agreeing to a question that Louis hadn’t heard. “Saved my life once. We were on a call and the fire had reached the family’s grill. Thing exploded behind me.” Andy gave Louis a small smile. “Wouldn’t be here without him.” He gestured to his arms. “These scars aren’t all makeup.” Louis winced and started to say he was sorry, but Andy held a hand up with a soft smile. He glanced back over towards Liam who had Harry on his shoulders trying to hang ghosts from the ceiling. "He really likes Harry. Talks about him, and you, all the time." Louis’ face flushed. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

“It’s alright,” Louis muttered, thinking he probably thought about Liam just as much. He flashed a bright smile as Harry came up to the table. “Hey, Hazza. This is Andy.”

“Hi!” Harry’s voice and smile were bright for Andy. “You cool zombie,” he told him before he turned his eyes to the treats on the table. “Yummy.”

“You can wait, Hazza. The party will start soon,” Louis told him.

“Hey, Lou, come help me double check the haunted house. Harry can stay with Liam, yeah?” Andy said, giving a wink to Harry.  

Louis followed Andy, seeing Liam sneak a couple of treats to Harry out of the corner of his eye. “Hey!” he said, turning to Liam who looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, which he pretty much was.       

Harry’s cheeks were puffed out around the snack he'd snuck. “Wha?” he asked, a few crumbs falling out of his mouth.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with those two,” Louis said to Andy who just smiled and pushed him gently back towards Liam and Harry. 

“Sorry, Lou,” Liam muttered and Louis patted him on the arm.

“Plying him with sweets to get him to like you,” Louis said, shaking his head, a mock sad look on his face.

“Loves him,” Harry said, reaching for another treat and breaking it in half. He gave half to Liam and shoved the other half in his mouth. 

“Love you, too, Hareball,” Liam said, pressing a kiss to the top of Harry’s head. He broke the piece of treat he had in half and handed it to Louis.

“Thanks, Li.”  Louis moved to squat in front of Harry. “Hazza, it’s Halloween, so you can have extra treats, but I don’t want you to make yourself sick. We would have to leave the party early, if you do that.”

Harry pouted his lower lip out and blinked his eyes up at Louis, who shook his head, pressing his lips together to hide the smile that was fighting its way to the surface. After a minute, Harry turned his pout on Liam who laughed loudly, his eyes crinkling shut at the corners as he doubled over. “Sorry, Hareball. I have to side with your dad on this one.” Harry huffed and crossed his arms over his chest before Liam ran a hand over his hair. “I don’t want you to get sick and leave early. It would make me sad if you couldn’t stay and have fun with me.”

Harry’s face immediately flashed into a huge smile. “No, Pay-o!  No cry.” He wrapped his arms around Liam’s waist and pressed a kiss to his stomach before looking over at Louis and grabbing his hand and pulling him in. “Daddo, hug Pay-o so he not cry!”

Louis froze for a moment before Liam reached an arm out and pulled him into the hug. It wasn’t the first time they’d hugged; Louis had happily discovered his new group of friends were a physically affectionate bunch, always touching in one way or another. It was just the first time they’d hugged since Liam had admitted to wanting to ask Louis out. He pressed his face into the side of Liam’s neck and inhaled, pretending he didn’t feel the kiss that Liam pressed to the top of his head. After the hug had gone on for a moment and Harry started struggling to get out, he heard Andy call out, “Oi! Get a room!”

Louis chuckled as Liam tightened his hold and he could feel the finger he shot at Andy over his shoulder. After laughing into Liam’s neck, pulling a giggle out of the other boy, he bit down where his shoulder met his neck, making Liam jump and shove him away. “Ow! I thought the nipple attacks were bad enough, now you bite!” Liam shouted, rubbing at his neck.

“Daddo, bad!” Harry scolded, giving him a fierce look and shaking a finger at him. “Now, say sorry.”

Louis flushed as he looked at Liam, but his mouth twisted into a mischievous smirk as he said, “I’m sorry, Liam.”  

“Now, kiss his boo-boo,” Harry told him and they heard Andy choke on laughter behind them. 

“Hazza…” Louis started, his face flushing even more at the thought of kissing Liam in such a way with the audience they had; he knew Harry didn’t understand and he didn’t relish the thought of trying to explain it to him.

“Your daddy’s kisses don’t work on me, Hareball. Maybe you should kiss it?” Liam hurried to suggest and Louis noticed that his cheeks were quite red as well.

Harry considered it for a moment before nodding and gesturing for Liam to bend down so he could reach. He pressed a gentle kiss to the slightly red spot before patting Liam on the arm. “All better.”

“Thanks,” Liam told him before standing back up and giving Louis a small smile, his teeth biting into his lower lip.

Kids and families started to flow through the doors before anything else could be said. A couple of kids shrieked when they saw Andy’s zombie costume and Harry laughed at them. One little red-haired boy, dressed as Woody from _ Toy Story _ , started to cry and hid behind his mum. Harry looked up at Louis and over at the child, his eyes wide. Louis gave a smile, pretty sure he knew what Harry was thinking, and gave his son a nod.  

“Where’s he going?” Liam asked quietly as he poured punch into a cup, setting it on the table to fill a spot that had been emptied by the last group that had walked by.

“Just watch,” Louis told him as he smiled down at a child dressed as a princess. “Hi, beautiful. Fancy some punch?”

Harry walked straight up to Andy and tugged on his sleeve. Andy looked down and gave a smile when Harry held his arms up for a hug. The boy dressed as Woody watched with wide eyes as Harry was scooped up by the Zombie. The boy gasped when Harry pressed a big kiss to the makeup coated cheek. Then he pointed at the ground and waited for Andy to set him down before he walked over to Woody and offered his hand. “I Harry,” he said. “I four.”

“I’m...I’m Ed, and I’m seven,” the little boy said quietly, staring at Harry’s hand. “How did you do that? Weren’t you scared?”

“That Andy. He fireman.” Harry shrugged as he looked at Andy, who waved at the two little boys. Harry waved back and, after a moment, Ed did as well. “Let’s get treats.” Harry grabbed Ed’s hand and started pulling him over to Louis and Liam, Ed’s mother following with a confused, yet delighted, look on her face.

“Daddo, Pay-o, this Ed,” Harry explained as he reached for a cookie. “Cookie?” Ed nodded and Harry handed it over.

“Nice to meet you, Ed,” Louis said, offering the boy a cup of punch. “Are you Ed’s mum?” he continued as the woman joined them, and she grabbed a napkin to catch the crumbs that Ed was creating.

“I am. My name is Imogen.” She held a hand out for Louis to take.

“I’m Louis. Harry’s dad. This is Liam.” Liam shook the woman’s hand as well and pulled the tray of cookies out of Harry’s reach, mirroring his pout with a subtle shake of his head.

“He’s such a sweet child. Did you see how he helped my Ed?” she asked, running a hand over Ed’s hair, which he quickly stepped away from, moving closer to Harry. The two boys reached to grab a few more snacks off the table, Harry looking to Louis who nodded his okay.

Louis was pulled away by a family asking about the ingredients in a couple of the snacks, so Liam took over the conversation, which Louis tried really hard to listen in on. “He is pretty special. Biggest heart I’ve ever seen, in a child or otherwise. I may be a bit biased though.” He watched as Harry and Ed started to wander off towards a couple of the games, but they stopped before they got too far.

“Pay-o? We go play games, ‘kay?” Harry shouted.

“Did you ask Ed’s mum?” Liam asked. Louis glimpsed the woman out of the corner of his eye as she smiled and nodded towards the boys, waving a hand and laughing as they ran off hand-in-hand. “No one will let them out of this room without the adult they came in with,” Liam explained.

Louis turned his full attention back to them. “I’m sorry about that. What did I miss?”

“Nothing much. Your partner and I were just chit-chatting,” Imogen said. “It was very nice meeting you both. I’m sure I’ll see you again.” She disappeared through the crowd as Liam and Louis stared at each other.

“Seriously, what the fuck did I miss?” Louis whispered under his breath. He had been distracted, but he was pretty sure he’d heard most of the conversation and their relationship hadn’t been discussed.

Liam shook his head. “I don’t know! I didn’t say anything. We just talked about Harry and the party.” His face was slack with confusion, and Louis couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “What’s so funny?”

Louis just shook his head as he kept laughing. He tried to answer, but he couldn’t collect himself enough to form words. Liam’s brow furrowed in concern and that just made Louis laugh harder. Other people in the room were starting to stare, and Louis could see some of their mouths quirk up into smiles. Paul, the Fire Chief, came over to them, a wide smile on his face, shooing the two of them away from the table.  

“Get your boy under control, Payne,” he said, his voice sharp, the effect diminished by the twinkle in his eye.

The words “your boy” sobered Louis up momentarily, but it only took one look at Liam’s concerned face for him to lose his mind again. Liam was finally able to pull Louis into the chief's office and shut the door behind them. Louis dropped onto the edge of the desk, still laughing, but managing to start getting himself under control. 

Liam's face was still pinched in confusion when Louis took a deep breath and wiped at the tears in his eyes. "Okay, I think I'm alright now."

"Can you please tell me what that was all about?" Liam implored, chewing on his lower lip. 

Louis let out one more snicker before schooling his expression. "Is this a date?" he finally asked the question that had been haunting him the entire evening, trying not to feel nervous when Liam's face paled and he started rubbing at the back of his neck. "I mean, you said you wanted to ask me out and you brought flowers and this is the first time it's been us without Niall or Zayn and-"

"Lou, breathe," Liam interrupted, stepping forward to grasp his upper arms. "If you want this to be a date, then I'd love for it to be a date."  Louis started to laugh quietly again and Liam groaned.  "Do not start again. I still don't know what you think is so funny!" Louis sensed the frustration building in Liam and felt a bit badly for the way he was reacting.

"We only decided just now that this is a date, our first date, but everyone tonight has us all but married. It just struck me as funny, I'm sorry." Louis shrugged, suddenly feeling like an idiot. 

Liam stared at him for a minute and then a bark of laughter escaped his lips, which set Louis off again. The two of them held onto each other as they struggled to get themselves under control. Finally, they both took deep breaths and looked at each other. Liam’s hands slid from Louis’ arms to his waist while Louis rested his hands on Liam’s shoulders. Louis’ tongue licked his lip and Liam let out a small sound before he started to lean in. Their lips brushed gently-

“Daddo,” Harry whined and the two jumped apart. They turned to see the very pale little boy standing in the doorway holding Paul’s hand. “My tummy hurts.”

Louis knelt down in front of Harry and put a hand to his forehead, finding him sweaty, but he was unsure if it was due to too much activity in his costume or illness. “Too many sweets, Hazza?” he asked softly and the boy nodded before leaning against Louis.

“His little ginger friend came and got me because Harry was inside the bounce house crying and he couldn’t find you,” Paul explained. “I think it’s time for our little firedog to go home and get some sleep.”

“No. Pay-o sad,” Harry mumbled, falling completely into Louis, who wrapped his arms around Harry and stood up, rubbing up and down his very sweaty back.

“I’ll call for an Addison Lee and talk to you tomorrow, Li,” Louis said, trying to reach into the pocket of his jacket to get his phone, but the bulkiness of the jacket and the dead weight of Harry made it difficult to maneuver. 

Liam looked sad as he placed a kiss to Harry’s forehead and mumbled to him. Harry’s eyes grew wet and he moaned out that his tummy hurt and he didn’t mean to make anyone sad. “I’m okay, Hareball. You go home and then you come back.”

Paul reached out and squeezed Harry’s hand. “Yeah, kiddo, you can come and visit us at the station any time that you want, yeah? Maybe I’ll even take you for a ride in one of the trucks.”

“Tanks, Mr. Huggins,” Harry said, messing up Paul’s surname in the cutest way. “I sowwy, Pay-o.” Harry always sounded even younger and so tiny when he wasn’t feeling well.

Paul looked over at Liam as Louis was still struggling for his phone. Finally, Liam reached out and took Harry from him to free up his hands. Harry snuggled into Liam’s neck. Louis watched them, his heart hurting a bit; Harry usually only wanted him when he was feeling poorly. “Liam, if you were their ride, just go on home. The party will be winding down soon and we have more than enough people to help,” Paul told him. “Just take your boys home and get them to bed.”

Liam’s eyes widened and he slapped his hand over Louis’ mouth before a burst of laughter could escape. Louis licked out and Liam dropped his hand quickly, wiping it on his side. “Thanks, sir. I’ll see you on Monday, yeah?”

When Paul left, Liam turned back to Louis with a small smile on his face. “My boys,” he whispered, and Louis shook his head fondly.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that belonging to someone was a very bubbly feeling.


	8. Chapter 8 - October/November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments.
> 
> Not a whole lot to say this week, been going through a lot of hell in my personal/professional life, so thank you to everyone who has commented/kudoed this week - you're all awesome.
> 
> Hope you enjoy today's update, it includes one of my favourite moments in the story (although, I have a lot of them).
> 
> See everyone in a couple of days for the next update.
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Liam carried Harry up to the living quarters so that he and Louis could shed their costumes. Louis stared down at Harry lying on Liam’s bunk looking sweaty and miserable. “Do you have an extra shirt or something we can put him in? I think the heat of the costume is making things worse,” Louis said, feeling worry twist his stomach.

Before he was even done speaking, Liam was at his side with a shirt and hoodie. “This way he won’t catch a chill outside,” Liam explained.  

“Thanks,” Louis murmured as he knelt next to the bed and started pulling Harry’s costume off of him. The boy protested weakly, but didn’t fight him. “It’ll be cooler in the shirt, Hazza,” Louis said, keeping his voice low and soft. 

Once Harry was changed, looking adorable and a bit lost in Liam’s hoodie, Louis went to pick him up, but Liam held a hand out. “Let me, yeah?”

“You can try, but he’s usually pretty clingy to me when he’s not feeling well,” Louis responded, even though he already knew that, based on earlier, Liam seemed to be an exception. Liam reached down and gently pulled Harry into his arms; Louis felt a little twist in his heart when Harry laid his head on Liam’s shoulder and closed his eyes with a sigh. 

Liam used his free hand to take Louis’ hand. “He’s exhausted, mate. Don’t take it personally.” When they reached the car, Liam handed the keys over so that Louis could unlock and open the back door. Once Harry was buckled in, Louis opened his mouth to ask if he could ride in back, but before he made a sound, Liam turned to him. “You should ride in back with him.”

“Thanks,” Louis whispered, his eyes a bit damp with a combination of gratefulness, concern and exhaustion. He settled next to Harry for the ride back to their flat, dozing off himself before they got there and startling awake when Liam shook him gently.

“C’mon, gotta get out of the car or you’ll be complaining about your back in the morning,” Liam teased, a hesitant smile on his face. Louis turned to unbuckle Harry, but Liam stopped him. “You’re dead on your feet. Let me get him inside for you.” He helped Louis out of the car before going back in for Harry.

Louis leaned against the side of the car, looking at Liam being so gentle with his son, and it made his throat feel tight. He tried to distract himself from the overwhelming emotions by ogling Liam’s bum in his low hanging jeans, but Liam chose that moment to turn around with Harry, still asleep, in his arms. Louis’ face burned with embarrassment; he chose to ignore the chuckle that Liam let out.

Once they were inside the flat, Louis managed to remove Liam’s hoodie from Harry and decided to leave him in the shirt, after making sure it was okay with Liam first. Liam walked towards the bedroom, still cradling Harry; Louis followed without comment, just soft eyes, wondering if Harry was going to have to sleep in his bed for the night.

“Top bunk, innit?” Liam asked when they got into the room. Louis nodded. He opened his mouth to tell Liam to put Harry in his bed, but Liam just used one arm to grasp the ladder and climbed up a couple of rungs before laying Harry gently into the bed. He pressed a kiss to the boy’s forehead before climbing back down and moving out of the way for Louis to climb up.

Louis gave Liam a grateful smile before he made his way up the ladder. Harry looked so small in the bed, but he’d stopped sweating and his face wasn’t nearly as pinched. He fought the urge to climb up and curl around his son, leaving Liam to show himself out. Instead, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead, nose and lips before whispering, “G’night, Hazza. Daddo loves you.” Harry made a small sound in his sleep, his lips twitching, before falling still with a sigh.

Louis climbed down the ladder, startling when he felt Liam’s hand at the small of his back, gently holding him steady until he made it to the floor. He turned to look up at Liam, who was standing close to him, his eyes watching, questioning. Louis pressed his lips together in a thin line before shaking his head. Liam’s face fell, but Louis grasped his hand and pulled him out of the room.  

Once they were in the living room, Louis turned back to Liam, a small smile quirking the edges of his pursed lips. He knew people called it his “trouble” smile and he’d never felt it applied to him more than right that instant. Liam opened his mouth to speak, but, before he could, Louis pushed himself up on tiptoes and pressed his lips to Liam’s. The kiss was quick and then Louis scampered away to the kitchen.

“I didn’t get any snacks at the party, so, I’m pretty hungry. Pot noodles?” Louis asked as he opened his cupboards, trying to find something quick to make.

Liam cleared his throat and Louis could feel him coming up behind him, so he knew he was trying not to startle him again. “That sounds good.” Louis was surprised to hear the scrape of one of the chairs in the dining room, meaning Liam had moved away from him and was settling down at the table. The silence stretched for several minutes while Louis filled the kettle and put it on the range to heat.  

“Beer?” he asked as he pulled open the fridge, his back still to Liam. Louis knew he was avoiding looking at him; he hated that he made things awkward between them with that spontaneous kiss.  

“Yeah, sounds great. Cheers, mate,” Liam said, his voice quiet. He remained quiet until Louis sat down in the chair across from him. Liam took a pull on his bottle, eyes on Louis, who mirrored the gesture. Liam sat his bottle on the table, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth with a deep sigh.

“Do I need to apologize?” Louis finally asked, dropping his eyes to the table.

“For?” Liam asked, reaching out and laying a hand over Louis’ that was starting to skate across the table. Louis gave him a wide-eyed look, surprised he was even asking. “The kiss?” Louis nodded. “No, definitely not.” Liam moved his head back and forth from shoulder to shoulder like he was thinking about something. “Well, unless you want to apologize because it was too short.”

Louis couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him and he turned his hand over, intertwining his fingers with Liam’s and squeezing gently. Liam tugged on his hand and Louis got up to move into the chair one closer to Liam, but stopped when Liam kept tugging. He raised questioning eyebrows until Liam pushed his chair back a bit and pulled Louis into his lap.

Liam wrapped his arms around Louis’ waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. “Weirdest first date ever,” Liam said, his breath grazing over Louis’ neck causing him to shiver as he giggled in response.

“I’ve had worse.” Liam shook his head and poked Louis’ ribs, causing the older man to giggle again and nearly fall off his lap. “I’m kidding. In fact, I can’t remember my last date,” he admitted quietly.

“Harry’s mum?” Liam asked, his voice hesitant. He dropped his head when Louis hopped off his lap and started moving about the kitchen again.

Louis felt terrible for making Liam feel badly, but he had never told anyone about Harry’s mother.  Obviously, his family knew who she was, knew that she never wanted Harry. Doncaster knew who she was, but not why she wasn’t in Harry’s life. No one else even knew who she was. No one here in London or at Uni knew. They always just knew Louis and Harry. Right now, a part of him wanted to tell Liam, just to tell  _ someone. _ Wanted to tell  _ him _ the entire story. He opened his mouth, but shut it quickly. 

No. Louis couldn’t tell him. He couldn’t tell anyone that Harry wasn’t really his. That was one secret that only one other person knew. DQ. As far as anyone else was concerned, Louis was Harry’s father and it was going to stay that way. DQ was a part of the past that Louis was more than happy to leave there.

“We didn’t really date,” Louis said, choosing his words carefully, knowing how bad that made him sound. “She was my best mate growing up. Not ready to be a mum.” He debated saying more, a part of him still wanting to get the whole story off his chest, but he felt relieved when Liam stood up and gently grasped his elbow.

“Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything, yeah?” Louis looked up at Liam, blinking back tears as Liam ran a hand gently over his face and held his chin, staring at him. After a moment, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Louis’ lips, one that lasted longer than their last, but was still all too brief.  

Liam chuckled when he pulled away and Louis stood there with his mouth agape, eyes still closed. When he finally opened his eyes, he flushed. “Sorry,” he muttered, pulling out of Liam’s hold. “Been awhile for that, as well.” He let out of sigh of relief when the kettle whistled and he busied himself finishing up the pot noodles. “We can put a movie on. Netflix or summat?”

“Sounds great,” Liam responded and moved to the living room, Louis choosing to ignore the slightly confused tone. 

Once they settled together on the sofa and Louis started  _ Iron Man, _ conversation wasn’t necessary except for when Louis spilled on himself and Liam laughed at him before getting him a paper towel to clean up. Louis finally just ditched his shirt and curled up against one arm of the sofa, pulling a blanket over himself. Liam leaned against the other arm and pushed his legs under the blanket, his feet brushing Louis’. Louis tried to keep the smile off his face at the contact, but knew he failed when Liam wiggled his toes and settled down further, his feet sliding under Louis’ bum.

They must have fallen asleep at some point because the screen of the computer had gone blank and Louis could feel the beginning of a crick in his neck. He groaned and tried to figure out what had woken him up, when he felt Liam’s legs moving and heard him mutter, “Bloody hell?”  Louis blinked rapidly, looking around and was just about to give up and try to fall back to sleep when he heard it.

Liam must have identified the sound at the same moment because his face flushed and his mouth dropped open. He glanced over the back of the sofa towards the kitchen before looking back at Louis, his eyes wide. Liam jabbed a thumb towards the wall and mouthed, “ _ Zayn? _ ” Louis nodded and Liam slapped both hands over his mouth, but the laughter was escaping anyway.

“Shhhh!” Louis admonished, scrambling to add his hands over Liam’s, not realizing that he was straddling Liam’s lap in order to reach. “Depending how much we slept through, it might not be much longer.”

Liam pulled both of their hands away from his mouth. “This happens a lot?” he whispered.

“Just about every night, except Sundays.” Never on Sundays because, once Zayn left Louis’ flat, he went straight home and the only noise Louis heard through the wall was soft music.

“I didn’t even know he was seeing anyone,” Liam said. “He never mentions anyone.” 

Louis slapped a hand over his mouth and choked out a laugh behind it. He flipped his hand away from his face and hissed. “I don’t think it’s the same person. Sometimes, I think it’s even more than one person.” He shook his head, giggling at the look on Liam’s face. “In fact, I guarantee it because the sounds are never-” Louis cut off when a loud, definitely feminine, moan came from the wall. It was followed by a quieter, breathier ‘Zayn’ moan. The banging on the wall stopped after that, and Liam got up off the couch and moved closer to the wall, putting his ear up to it.

He walked back over to Louis. “Every night? Really? How do you…” 

Louis laughed as he trailed off. “I usually just go to bed. You can’t really hear it in the other room. Some nights, I just put in earbuds.” He shrugged and smiled when he heard the door to Zayn’s flat open and shut. They could hear footsteps down the hall and quietly bickering voices. Liam’s eyes got wide again. “None of them ever stay the night and some of them don’t go quietly. You’ll hear Zayn coming back shortly.”

Liam looked at his watch. “It’s four in the morning!” he squeaked and Louis laughed. “I should be going.”

“C’mon, mate. Just stay here. Neither of us work tomorrow, and it’s too late to be driving back to yours. I promise to make breakfast,” Louis told him, voice teasing. He’d made the offer without thinking about it. He never liked the idea of his friends driving this late at night. In fact, he usually worried about Zayn’s guests without even knowing who they were. “Plus, are you really prepared to run into Zayn in the hallway after that?”

Liam’s face grew even redder and Louis laughed. “Um…” Liam looked towards the door, then down at the floor, before finally looking back up at Louis. “You sure you want me to stay?” Louis nodded and opened up the linen cupboard. He pulled out a couple of pillows, sheets and blankets. He started making up the couch when he heard footsteps in the hall again. “Zayn’s back.”

They listened as the door to Zayn’s flat opened and shut again. After a few minutes, they heard the headboard bang just once, meaning Zayn must have crawled into bed. “G’night, Zayn,” Louis whispered as he finished with the couch. He looked over to see Liam standing between the kitchen and the dining room, a small smirk on his face. “What?”

“Trust me?” Liam asked.

Louis was pretty sure that every time  _ he’d  _ had that look on his face and asked someone to trust him, it meant trouble; however, he found himself nodding at Liam. He watched as Liam gave a giggle and walked over to the kitchen wall, right next to the end of the counter. If Louis were to guess, it was probably right against the back of Zayn’s headboard on the other side. Suddenly, Liam took both hands and slammed them against the wall at about shoulder height and let out a loud, low - definitely sexual sounding - moan that Louis will forever deny going straight to his pants. Louis’ jaw dropped as Liam pounded one fist into the wall and let out a gasp, sounding for all the world like he was getting fucked into the wall and Louis had to laugh.

“You are so not a bottom!” he hissed at Liam, who blushed, but still shrugged. 

"Then get over here and take over," Liam hissed back and Louis laughed, hurrying over while Liam let out a few more sounds. 

Louis moved over and stood next to Liam, turning his back to the wall. He banged both fists against it and let out a squeak, fighting a giggle at the smile quirking Liam's lips. "Lee-ooohhh," he moaned out, poking Liam in the ribs when his jaw dropped and he stopped hitting the wall. "Harder," he gasped out, his voice pointed and Liam shook himself and banged the wall faster, increasing his pants while Louis kept up his pleas.  

After a particularly loud bang, Liam shook out his arm and Louis quickly grabbed his hand, kissing the reddened palm and moving to stand between Liam and the wall. Liam's breath hitched and he shook his head, his eyes locked with Louis’, as he moaned out, loud enough for their audience, "M'close, babe."

Louis took that as his cue and let loose his most convincing fake-screaming orgasm to date. It certainly topped the ones he’d used to embarrass his mates with during Uni. Louis tried not to laugh when Liam slapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide while Liam let out a stuttered moan that Louis could tell was to cover for a laugh. 

They slid down the wall and leaned against it, biting their lips and waiting to see if they'd get a response. It was only a couple of moments before there was a solid knock on the wall and Zayn shouted, “Get in, lads!” Liam and Louis' eyes met and they fell into each other laughing hysterically. 

That was the moment Liam James Payne became Louis William Tomlinson’s absolute best friend.


	9. Chapter 9 - November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Mid-Week Moments!
> 
> Some of the crap in my life is finally calming down (the largest factor on my stress and attention over the last week and a half is more or less over, so hopefully I'll be sleeping again), so now I can focus again on posting and, even more hopefully, writing. I've got three or four WIPS that have been severely neglected lately (feel free to ask about them).
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is reading and kudoing and commenting. Y'all are really helping me through the crap! :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it and I'll see everyone on Monday!
> 
> xx-Joey

The next day, Louis woke up slowly, hearing conversation from the living room. He pushed himself up on his elbows and narrowed his eyes, trying to place the voices. He was just about to get up and investigate when Harry came bounding into the room squealing, “Pay-o, no!” Harry dove into Louis’ bed and under the covers just as Liam came to a stop in the doorway.

“Shit,” Liam mumbled. “Sorry, Lou. I was trying to keep him quiet, but he thought I was going to tickle him. I wanted to let you sleep.” He kept going on and on and Louis chuckled as he felt Harry moving around under the blankets; he could tell the boy was trying to curl up in a tiny ball and disappear.

“No worries. I should probably be getting up to make you that breakfast I promised,” Louis said around a yawn and a stretch. He pressed his toes into Harry’s side, smiling when the boy giggled.

Liam rubbed the back of his neck as he moved closer to the bed. “About that…” Louis raised an eyebrow at him. “It’s actually almost one in the afternoon.”

“What?!” Louis gasped out, scrambling to push himself upright, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, wincing when his foot connected with Liam’s shin. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept this late. “How long have you been up?”

“Harry came out about seven and woke me up to ask why I was sleeping on the couch,” Liam said, taking a step backwards, still looking uncomfortable. “I told him we had a sleepover.”

There was a muffled sound coming from under the blankets and Louis lifted them to look at Harry before saying, “Replay?”

“Sleepover in same room,” Harry told him, crawling out and looking at Liam. “He sleep here,” Harry explained, pounding Louis’ bed. 

Louis’ face flushed and he saw that Liam’s face was just as red. “I told him that there wasn’t enough room,” Liam explained with a shrug.

“I say, ‘Next time, Pay-o sleep here!’,” Harry insisted, smacking Louis’ bed again.

“So, I made him a quick breakfast. I hope that’s alright.” Liam was digging his toes into the carpet and not meeting Louis’ eyes. “I figured you don’t get to sleep in very often and I can’t seem to ever sleep past eight.”

“Eggs runny,” Harry whispered to Louis. “I ate ‘em all.” He looked up at his father with a broad smile. “I say, ‘thank you’.”

“Good, Hazza. It was very nice of Liam to cook for you and spend the morning with you.” He glanced towards Liam who was still refusing to look at him.

“We nap,” Harry said, climbing into Louis’ lap and laying his head on his shoulder. Harry closed his eyes and let out a couple of fake snores, bringing a smile to Louis’ face. “We nap like that.”

“You fell asleep on Liam?” Louis asked and Harry nodded. “I’m sorry. You didn’t sign up to be a babysitter this weekend,” Louis said to Liam who shook his head.

“I not baby!”

“He most certainly isn’t,” Liam responded, bringing a bright smile to Harry’s face. “Hareball and I were just hanging out, watching Batman cartoons on Netflix. I’m sorry again that he woke you,” Liam’s voice was really quiet, and Louis was getting a little tired of him being so distant.

Louis grinned at Harry before reaching a hand out to grab Liam’s wrist and yanking his arm until he fell atop the two of them on the bed. Harry screeched and climbed from beneath Liam and onto his back, straddling his waist and smiling down triumphantly at his father who was now squashed completely beneath Harry and Liam.

“Um…” Liam started at the same time Louis said, “Er…”

There was a knock at the front door and Harry scrambled off the pair and ran through the flat hollering, “Who there?” Louis heard a muffled reply and then the sound of the door opening.

“Harold! No!” Louis shouted, shoving an already moving Liam off of him and racing out of the bedroom. He skidded to a halt when he saw Zayn standing in the living room, a wide grin on his face.

“Not Harold,” Zayn and Harry said in unison, giggling.

“Morning, Lou.” Zayn bent down to pick up Harry. “Morning, Sprout.” He looked over Harry, taking in the Fire Department shirt the boy was wearing. “Liam’s shirt?”

“Yeah! Pay-o sleepover!” Harry said, laughing. 

Zayn smirked and Louis flushed. “Yeah, I thought he might have.” Louis glanced at the couch and noticed that Liam must have cleaned it up and could only imagine what Zayn was thinking.

Liam joined them in the living room and his face was bright red as Zayn looked him over slowly from head to toe and back again. “I’m starting to think I should lose my trousers. What do you think, Sprout?”

Louis watched as Harry looked at everyone and it was then he realized that the three of them were only in shirts and pants. “Yes, Unca Zed,” he finally said and forced Zayn to set him down. He looked up at him expectantly and Louis snorted out a laugh when Zayn looked uncomfortable. Harry tugged on Zayn’s trouser leg.

“I was kidding,” Zayn gulped out, grabbing at his belt as Harry started pulling harder on his jeans. “I’m going to leave these on.”

“No! You wear pants like us!” Harry yelled, giggling as he used both hands to pull, managing to get the jeans to move down a couple of inches.

Louis watched Zayn’s face flush redder than he’d ever seen, his eyes wild as he stared at Louis. When Harry managed to pull the jeans down a bit further, Louis laughed at a four-year-old getting the better of a grown man. “Lou,” Zayn said, his voice pleading and Louis really looked at him as Zayn gestured to his lower region, still holding on desperately to his belt.

“Harold,” Louis started when he realized that with all of the tugging Harry had done, he’d yet to see any sign of pants under Zayn’s jeans. “You need to stop pulling on Uncle Zayn’s jeans. It’s rude.”

“Not Harold.” His son pouted at him, but stopped tugging, and Zayn pulled his jeans back up, taking in a deep breath, but keeping his hands tight on his belt.

“Thanks, mate. That could have gotten embarrassing.”

“Are you not wearing pants?” Liam asked, his face a hilarious mix of curiosity and horror. “Isn’t that terribly uncomfortable in jeans? Trackies, I can understand, but denim?” Liam made a face.

Zayn shrugged. “Never been a fan of pants. Too constricting.” Liam and Louis both eyed Zayn’s skinny jeans with twisted smiles. “And they bunch like a moth-”

“No pants?” Harry interrupted Zayn before Louis could.

Zayn gave Louis a panicked look, causing the older lad to laugh. “Some people choose not to wear pants under their clothes, Hazza.”

“You sleep in pants?” Harry asked.

“I think that’s my cue for me to leave,” Zayn said, inching towards the door.

Louis was laughing outright and even Liam’s mouth was twitching at the corners, but Harry was still staring at Zayn. “You sleep in pants?” he asked again and looked confused when Zayn shook his head.

Harry looked from Zayn to Louis. “I no sleep in pants,” he stated and then proceeded to reach under Liam’s shirt to pull at his pants. The boys watched, frozen, as Harry got frustrated and pulled the shirt off and threw it to the ground. Before anyone could grab at him, Harry pulled his pants off and threw them as well. He stood with his hands on his naked little hips and laughed loudly. “No pants!” he squealed, much like a crowing Peter Pan.

“HAROLD!” the three grownups in the room shouted and dove for him at the same time, tripping over each other as Harry ran away and jumped onto the sofa.

“Not Harold!” he shouted, bouncing on the couch, causing the other three to wince. “No pants!”

“Hazza,” Louis spoke softly, walking slowly towards him. “You can’t be naked around other people.”

Harry stopped bouncing and tilted his head to look at his father. “Why?”

“It’s not polite.”

“Why?”

Louis huffed out a breath and looked to the other two for help, but they just held their hands up and stepped back in defeat. “Hazza, remember when we talked about penises and vaginas?” Harry nodded and Louis heard Liam choke behind him.

“PENIS!” Harry shouted, pointing at his own. Then he pointed at Zayn and then Liam and then Louis. “Penis. Penis. Penis!”

“I’m not giving him the password again, mate,” Zayn said and Louis glared at him, shooting him the bird behind his back so Harry wouldn’t see.

“Right. We all have them, but you don’t see the three of us running around in front of each other showing them off, yeah?” He mentally rolled his eyes when he heard Zayn snort.

“Go ‘head,” Harry said and Zayn’s snort turned into a choke.

“No. It’s not polite,” Louis stated again.

“Why? Unca Zed no wear pants. I no wear pants.” Harry crossed his arms over his chest and gave Louis his most determined look to date.

Louis ran his hands over his face, feeling absolutely defeated. He hated when Harry started to question everything, but he’d slowed down lately. Now, it was all back again, and it just reminded Louis that he really didn’t have all of the answers - or any of the answers, really.  He wanted to cry, the tears forming in the corners of his eyes, when a large, warm hand ran over his shoulder. 

“Can I try?” Liam whispered. Louis nodded, figuring it couldn’t make the situation any worse. Liam moved to stand in front of Harry, and Louis uncovered his face to watch. “Hareball, Uncle Zayn chooses not to wear pants, but during the day and around other people, he still wears jeans or trousers, yeah?” Harry looked at Zayn, who nodded, but Louis saw the smirk on his lips and shot him a ‘ _ Don’t even think about it _ ’ look. “So, how about, when other people are around and you are wearing trackies, not jeans, just trackies, you don’t have to wear pants.”

Harry looked at Louis, who wasn’t thrilled with the idea. After a moment, Louis gave a nod, knowing compromise was the only way out of this situation. “Okay, Pay-o.” He climbed off the couch and headed towards his room. “I no sleep in pants,” he said firmly before he disappeared into the bedroom. 

Liam turned to Louis, his lower lip caught between his teeth. “I’m not sure if that was alright.”

“It was better than anything I came up with,” Louis told him before turning to glare at Zayn. “You are ruining my life.”

“I can’t be doing too much damage after the little show the two of you put on last night,” he responded, crossing his arms over his chest and giving a knowing look to the two of them. “Did you have fun?”

Liam chuckled and Louis outright laughed. “It was amazing, sorry if we disturbed you,” Louis told him, walking over to Liam and pressing a kiss to his cheek before heading towards the kitchen. “What do you want for lunch, babe?” He knew he was laying it on a little thick, but he got a warm feeling in his stomach acting like this with Liam.

Liam walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I wanted to run out and pick something up. I was trying to get Harry dressed to go when he woke you. I’ll just go by myself, now.” Louis leaned back against him with a happy sigh. “This does not count as a second date.”

“Technically, it’s still the first, you haven’t gone home yet,” Louis whispered as he turned around in his arms, looking up at him.

“Oi, get a room, you two,” Zayn said from the hallway as Harry came back out in just a pair of trackies, tripping over the bottoms.

“Cuddles!” Harry shouted, moving to hug Liam and his father. He looked over at Zayn and held out an arm. Zayn shook his head, his face fond, and moved into the group, Liam letting him in between him and Harry, across from Louis.

“I really have to get some clothes on and go pick up the food,” Liam said when Louis’ stomach growled. He pressed a smacking kiss to the top of Zayn’s quiff, earning a swat to the stomach. 

He untangled himself from the hug and Zayn and Louis moved to close up the circle.

They were still laughing when Liam disappeared around the corner, the room feeling a little bit emptier without him there.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized he wanted Liam James Payne to stick around.


	10. Chapter 10 - November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Moments Monday!!!
> 
> I hope everyone had a great weekend! :D 
> 
> Mine was relatively drama free (can't escape all of it), so here I am posting for y'all. I hope you are still enjoying this story. :D 
> 
> Big old thanks for my beautiful beta, Jess, for doing her magic for me on a holiday weekend. :D
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

After Liam had gone, Louis rested his head on Zayn’s shoulder with a sigh. “Good date?” the boy asked, moving a hand to ruffle Harry’s hair.

“Weird date,” Louis whispered, watching Liam disappear into the bedroom, wondering when he brought in the bag hanging over his shoulder.

“Seemed to have ended well,” Zayn said as the group cuddle broke up and Harry walked over to the refrigerator, tugging up his trackies as he went. Louis shoved Zayn. “At least it sounded like the two of your were having fun fuc-”

“Zayn,” Louis said, his voice firm as he watched Harry taking out the tub of sliced apples that Niall had put in there for him the day before.

“Screwing with me,” Zayn corrected, giving Louis a harsh look. “You almost had me convinced, until the laughter at the end.” Louis’ face flushed as he watched Liam wave and disappear out the door of the flat, noticing he’d left his duffle at the end of the couch, not understanding the happy giggle that tried to escape at the sight.

“It was Liam’s idea,” he muttered, feeling like a child being scolded by a parent. He got a napkin, giving it to Harry before helping him get settled at the table with the apples. “Not too many, Hazza. Liam is picking up food.”

“Pizza?” Harry asked, perking up before slumping his shoulders when Louis shook his head.

Louis made his way over to the sofa, dropping down onto it, head in hands. Zayn sat next to him, bumping their shoulders together. “Alright?”

“Confused. Scared. Everything.” Louis’ voice was muffled. He dropped his hands between his knees and turned his face to look at Zayn without lifting his head. “I haven’t been on an actual date, let alone in a relationship, since long before Harry was born. I don’t know how to act or what to say.” He could feel his chest clenching **,** and he stopped, taking a deep breath.

Zayn was silent for a few beats, his eyes looking to one side as if the answer were floating in the air around them. “He’s proper one of our best mates, yeah?” Zayn started and Louis nodded. “And he loves the hell outta Sprout, just like all of us.” Another nod. “Then just keep acting like you’ve always acted and add a few kisses in there.” Zayn’s voice was decisive. “Maybe a blowie or two, as well.” Louis’ jaw dropped as he thought about just how out of practice he was.

“Hard to do much of that with a four-year-old running around.” Louis shook his head. “Even messing with you last night, I was afraid Harry would wake up and wonder what we were doing.” He covered his face again. “Can you imagine? He probably would’ve come out and started banging on the wall and making noises, too.”

The two of them burst out laughing and Harry joined in from the table, where he was sitting with his head laid on the tabletop, watching them. His eyes were blinking slowly. “Looks like someone needs a nap,” Zayn said, walking over to pick Harry up, blowing a raspberry on his neck when he started to fuss. “Let’s go in your room and I’ll just read you a story or summat, Sprout.”

“No pants,” Harry murmured and Zayn chuckled. 

“Nah, you keep your trackies on with me, Sprout. We’re not napping, just chillin’ till Payno gets back,” Zayn was telling him.

Louis watched him go, thankful for his friendship, despite some of the troubles that had come along with it. He knew that he’d been blessed with a great group of people upon moving to London and he wouldn’t trade them for anything, but he certainly would not object to changing his relationship with Liam slightly.

Louis moved into the kitchen gathering paper plates and silverware, unsure what would be needed because he had no idea what type of food Liam was bringing back. He smiled, confident it wouldn’t be Indian food after that first night. The rest of them had shared Indian food since, but Liam always made sure that he and Harry had pizza. In fact, Liam always seemed to be very careful about making sure that Harry was happy. One night, he’d been texting with Louis and Harry had woken up with a nightmare, crying that he’d been scared of the dark in the room. The next day, Liam had showed up with a stuffed frog that projected stars on the ceiling, acting like it was a coincidence, but Louis knew better.

He was still standing in the middle of the kitchen when Zayn came back in, startling him out of his reverie. “Sprout knocked out three pages into  _ Love you Forever _ . Poor kid is knackered.” Louis gave him a concerned look. “He doesn’t feel warm, I checked.  And, he still has his trackies on. I really am sorry about that.”

“It’s alright. I shouldn’t be surprised. He used to dance naked in front of my mum’s glass door to the garden. Shook his little bum against the glass. Mum’s friends were over one day and saw him. Thought he might have outgrown it, but if going without pants is the worst thing I have to deal with this week, I should be thankful.” Louis smiled at Zayn when he started laughing. “Liam handled that pretty well, yeah?”

“He really did. Proper dad-like. Might have to start calling him daddy,” Zayn said, his voice lecherous, and Louis reached out, twisting his nipple before darting to the other side of the flat. Zayn gave chase and they were running around the sofa and the coffee table. Louis grabbed one of the pillows off the sofa and threw it at Zayn who ducked, the pillow sailing over his head and smacking right into Liam’s face as he opened the door. Everyone in the room froze, staring at each other. After a moment, Liam shook his head with a small smile. He closed the door behind him before awkwardly squatting down and grabbing the pillow off the floor, while not dropping the bags of food he carried in one arm.

“I’m pretty sure there was only one child in this flat when I left,” he said, making to toss the pillow back towards the sofa before changing gears and swinging it to smack Zayn in the side of the head. He giggled as Zayn huffed. 

“Lou threw it!” Zayn argued.

“And you ducked, so it hit me.” Liam shrugged, finally dropping the pillow on the sofa and heading towards the table, Louis joining him and helping him unpack the bags. “I figured you would be joining us, Zayn, so I hope KFC is alright?”

Zayn was still glaring at him, but nodded. “You just love Louis more than me!” he said, sounding like a petulant child.

“Yep,” Liam said, grabbing a plate and filling it up before looking around the room. “Where’s Hareball? Did you get hungry while I was gone and eat him?”

“He’s taking a nap. Zayn read him a story and he passed out,” Louis said, filling his own plate as Zayn made his way over to grab some food for himself. “He must still be worn out from that massive sugar high yesterday.”

The three settled around the table, Louis laughing when Liam hooked his ankle around the leg of his chair to pull him closer. Zayn rolled his eyes. “You two are disgusting. I can’t imagine what would happen if you ever had a proper date.”

Louis felt sad for a minute and didn’t look at Liam. It was easy to forget that going out with just Liam wasn’t really an easy thing to do. Every night that he didn’t have to work the next day, Niall wasn’t available to stay with Harry. His mum was too far away to ask. Zayn was always going out. He didn’t want to disrupt Lad’s Night because it would make his son sad. He could feel Liam’s gaze on him, but he just focused on his food, not wanting to see what emotions were going on behind the other boy’s brown eyes.

“My youngest sister is coming to visit tonight,” Zayn said, conversationally. “I bet Safaa would love to hang out with Sprout. She loves little kids.” Louis finally looked up, his eyes wide. He could see Liam smiling out of the corner of his eye and his heart felt warm. “He could even spend the night, if that’s alright with you. Give her someone to play with other than me.” The silence dragged on and Zayn banged a hand on the table. “Look, this is your chance, mate; ask him out!”

Louis and Liam glanced at each other and back at Zayn. “Who are you talking to?” Liam asked.

“Both of you! Does it really matter who does the asking? Take advantage of my generosity and go out on a proper date. Who knows when you’ll get this opportunity again.” Louis could tell from Zayn’s smile that he was teasing them; the other boy would watch Harry anytime that Louis asked, he just hated asking.

“Yeah, alright,” Liam said, turning to Louis. “So, will you?”

“What?” Louis asked, smirking.

“Is that how you ask someone out?” Zayn practically shouted. “No wonder Niall said you’ve not been on a date since the Spice Girls broke up!”

Liam’s face was flushing and Louis felt a little bit sorry for him. He opened his mouth to do the asking, to save Liam from further harassment, but Liam climbed off his chair and knelt in front of him. He gawked down as Liam took Louis’ hand and smiled up at him. “Louis, whatever your middle name is, Tomlinson, will you please do me the honour of accompanying me on an, as yet, unplanned date this evening?”

“There ya go,” Zayn said before Louis could open his mouth. “A bit dramatic, but we all know what a drama queen our boy can be.”

Louis’ breath stuttered at Zayn’s words, his mind going to DQ, but he just shook her out of his head quickly. Liam frowned, he must have misunderstood the movement and thought Louis was refusing. “Okay, no,” Louis said and Liam started to pull away. “I mean, no, that wasn’t no. I would love to go out with you, Liam. I was just...my head is just...no excuses, let’s try this again, yeah?”

Zayn stood up and skulked around the table to stand next to the other two boys, putting a hand on each other their shoulders, a bit awkward with Liam still on his knees. “Enough. Do you, Liam, want to take Louis out on a date tonight?” 

Liam snorted and nodded while saying, “I do.”

“And do you, Louis, agree to go out with Liam on a date tonight?” 

“I do,” Louis responded, smiling softly.

“Great, I now pronounce you…” Zayn trailed off as his mind worked; Louis could practically see the wheels turning in his head. “Date mates! You may kiss the date.” Liam laughed and leaned in, stopping when Zayn’s hand came between their faces. “No, you can’t actually do that. It’s your first date, don’t want people thinking you’re easy.”

“Second date,” Louis argued, trying to move Zayn’s hand to get at Liam’s lips.

“First  _ proper _ date,” Zayn argued, laughing as Liam managed to yank his hand away and press his lips to Louis’ quickly before Zayn grabbed his shoulders and pulled him away, knocking him to the ground. “Stop trying to defile my best mate!”

“I thought _ I _ was your best mate,” Liam argued, wrestling with Zayn while Louis watched, laughing.

“Noisy,” came a small voice and the wrestling stopped to look at a sleepy Harry leaning on the wall between the dining room and the sitting room. 

Louis jumped out of his chair, stepping over the two on the floor to scoop Harry up, laughing when his trackies fell below his bum, causing an unintentional moon. “Liam got KFC. Want some chicken?” Louis asked, tugging the bottoms back up, and Harry nodded against his shoulder.

“Tay-toes, too,” he mumbled as Louis set him down in his seat. Harry whined until Liam scooted over the floor to sit next to his chair. Harry patted Liam’s hair. “Puppy Pay-o,” he giggled.

Zayn settled back into his chair, which was across from Harry’s. “Hey, Sprout. Remember I told you about Safaa?” 

Harry nodded as he dipped a chicken leg into his mashed potatoes and shoved it into his mouth. “You sisar,” he mumbled around the food.

“No talking with your mouth full, Harold,” Louis admonished.

“Not Harold,” he responded, spitting out some of the potatoes to land in Liam’s hair.

“Now you made Liam a mess,” Zayn said, laughing slightly at the downtrodden look. “He’s going to have to go home and shower.”

“No go,” Harry said, grabbing hold of Liam’s hair, causing him to wince. “Shower here.”

Liam untangled Harry’s fingers and stood up, pressing a kiss to the boy’s head. “I have to go, but I’ll come back.” Harry nodded, but still looked sad.

“Forget about him,” Zayn said. “You want to come with me to the train station and pick up Safaa?” Harry’s eyes were wide when he nodded and Louis smiled as he walked Liam to the door.

“Are you going to tell him?” Liam asked quietly.

“I have to, but I’m sure he’ll be upset that we’re going to be hanging out without him,” Louis responded, sighing as Liam wrapped his arms around him. 

“We’ll make it up to him tomorrow, yeah? Let him pick dinner for Lad’s Night,” Liam suggested, brushing his nose against Louis’ cheek before pressing a gentle kiss there.

“So, we’ll be having pizza,” Louis laughed, smiling under Liam’s lips as they moved to his. “You spoil him worse than me.”

“Told you. I’m trying to win him over to get to his fit father,” Liam giggled, pressing one last quick kiss to his lips before stepping back.

“Think that’ll actually work?” Louis asked around a grin.

Liam shrugged. “Think it might.” He cupped Louis’ face gently, running his thumb over his defined cheekbone, staring intently at him. “I’ll be back in a couple of hours. Need to wash mashed potatoes out of my hair and make a couple of arrangements.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Louis’ forehead and disappeared out the door.

“Bye, Liam,” Louis whispered as he shut the door.

“Daddo!” Harry shouted and Louis turned around to find Harry dressed, with his backpack over his shoulders. In one arm he held the light-up frog from Liam and, in the other, a stuffed puppy dog, aptly named Dog. “I sleepover Unca Zed with Saf!” He turned around so Louis could check his backpack. “I pack jammas ‘cause Saf got a ‘gina and no see my penis.”

Louis looked over at Zayn who was hiding his face in a pillow on the sofa, body rocking with laughter. “This is why I’m not a dad.”

“Yeah, that’s why,” Louis said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but then realized with Zayn’s nightly habits, it’s actually pretty fortunate that a child hasn’t come along. “You’d make a good dad.”

“Yeah, probably. Kid would be just a bit twisted.” He glanced fondly at Harry, who was bouncing around, impatient to leave. “Kinda like Sprout.”

“Hey, my son is perfectly normal. Takes after his father,” Louis said, feeling only a small twinge in his heart as he said it, because, really, who knew if he did or not.

“Like I said, twisted.” He looked down at Harry and dug into his pocket. “You know how to unlock a door, Sprout?” Harry nodded enthusiastically and Louis worried a little as Zayn handed his keys over, separating the proper one. “Go open my door, but don’t go inside, yeah?” Harry gave Louis a hug and a kiss and headed out the door. Louis felt a slight tug, this would be the first night he and Harry had spent apart since moving to London. 

He moved so he could watch Harry struggling with Zayn’s door, eventually getting it open and standing in the doorway, waving at Louis.  “Love you, Daddo. Have fun with Pay-o!”

He whipped his head around to look at Zayn. “You told him?”  

“I did. He’s happy for you guys and asked if you were having a sleepover, too.” 

“Please tell me you said, ‘No’,” Louis practically whimpered.

“I don’t lie. I might improve the truth, but I don’t lie,” Zayn told him, a bit of hurt flashing through the hazel. “I said that you might and that was why he had to stay with me and Safaa, so Liam can sleep in his bed instead of the sofa.” Louis huffed out a sigh of relief. “I also laid out a couple of outfit choices on your bed while Harry was packing. I’ll bring over some condoms and lube later, I figure you really don’t have any lying around.”

Louis reached out and swatted at Zayn, but the other boy ducked and ran, gently pushing Harry into his flat and closing the door behind him, laughing loudly. Louis shook his head in exasperation that quickly turned to fondness.

That was the moment that Louis William Tomlinson realized he’d found the perfect partner in crime in Zayn Javaad Malik.


	11. Chapter 11 - November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!!!
> 
> How many of your were wondering if there was a bonus update coming soon? I'm looking at you, [punkrocktommo](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/punkrocktommo).
> 
> So, here is today's bonus chapter - A Memorial Day Moments. This chapter is a wee bit longer than usual, but I really didn’t want to shortchange their first date.
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis stood nervously in front of the mirror, tugging on the bottom of the jacket that Zayn had laid out for him. He turned back and forth, looking himself over from every angle, trying to figure out if this was indeed the outfit he should be wearing. He knew his bum looked good in the black skinny jeans, but he wasn’t sure about the black and red graphic t-shirt combined with the black jacket. The sleeves were a bit short, so he pushed them up to make the exposure of his wrists and forearms look intentional. He sighed when he heard a knock at the front door. Glancing at his phone, he wondered if it was Liam, early, or if it was Zayn checking up on him.

He opened the door and Zayn was standing there with a young girl with black hair and Harry.  “This Safaa!” Harry said, throwing his arms around her and she giggled, smiling up at Louis through her lashes.

“Nice to meet you, love,” Louis said, holding out his hand and smiling as she barely touched it in a quick handshake.

“You, too,” she whispered. “You look nice.”

“Really?” 

She nodded and Zayn chuckled before handing her his keys. “You and Sprout go get settled and I’ll be there in a minute.” She nodded and walked towards Zayn’s door.

Harry hugged his dad quickly and Louis picked him up for a snuggle and a kiss. “Miss you, Daddo. Loves you. Bye-bye. I come back.”

“Love you, too, Hazza.  See you tomorrow and Liam says we can have pizza for Lad’s Night,” he told his son, who cheered. 

“Order extra for Saf!” he told his dad as he followed after her, blowing a kiss at his dad.

Once the door was closed, Zayn pushed his way into Louis’ flat. He turned around and handed Louis a few foil packages. Louis just stared at them and Zayn rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t kidding. I’m not saying anything’s going to happen, but you’d kick yourself if it went that way and you had to stop because you weren’t prepared.” He walked into Louis’ bedroom and he could hear Zayn open and close a drawer, probably his nightstand.

Zayn came back out a few minutes later with a brush and a can of hairspray. He gestured Louis over and started fussing with his hair, brushing it flat and then using his fingers to muss it up and spraying lightly in some spots and heavier in others. After a few minutes, he stood back and nodded. “Perfect.”

Louis had watched him quietly, not even questioning the other man’s actions. He felt a bit like a dress-up doll and wondered why Zayn was doing all of this for him, so he decided to ask. The boy shrugged. “I like you. I like Liam. I like the idea of Liam  _ and  _ Louis.” He tilted his head to the side, looking at him. “I like LiLo,” he chuckled.

“Stitch’s friend?” Louis questioned, wondering if Zayn had finally gone round the bend.

“No. You know, like Brangelina. Liam and Louis. LiLo.”

“You are insane,” he responded, reaching a hand out to pinch his nipple, which Zayn deftly avoided.

“Yet, you wouldn’t be going out with the hunky firefighter without me,” he said, his voice pointed.

“True,” Louis muttered. “Are you sure I look alright?” He moved in front of the mirror again, jumping when Zayn smacked him on the arse. 

“Showing off your best feature. What else matters?” Louis glared at him. “Seriously, mate, you look amazing. If I didn’t know you, I’d try to pull you.”

“That doesn’t really say much, does it? You’ll pull anyone,” Louis responded without looking at Zayn, but when there was no witty comeback, he looked up and met Zayn’s hurt-filled eyes in the mirror. “Shit, mate, I’m sorry.”

Zayn shrugged. “Not like it isn’t true,” he muttered. “I’m gonna go. Have fun, yeah?” He sounded a lot less excited for Louis than he had before. He turned towards the door, but Louis stopped him with a hand on his elbow.

“You’re a great guy. There is nothing wrong with pulling people. You’re young and ridiculously attractive. If I were you, I’d probably be doing the same thing.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You’re the type of person people fall in love with,” Zayn said, his voice still quiet and he shook Louis’ arm off, moving away quickly. He twisted the doorknob, stopping when he had the door open. He looked over his shoulder at him, his classic smirk back on his face, but not quite reaching his eyes. “Just not me.”

He was gone before Louis could say anything else, but he made a note to attempt a somewhat serious discussion with his friend, sooner rather than later. He smiled as Harry stuck his head back out the door once Zayn had gone through. He waved and then he shouted, “Hi, Pay-o!!! Have fun!” and was giggling as Zayn’s hand reached out to cover his mouth, pulling him back in.

Louis turned around quickly at the low chuckle behind him. His breath caught as he took in the comforting familiarity of Liam, although his appearance was mildly unfamiliar. Hanging out together, they usually wore trackies or ripped jeans and ratty t-shirts. Even the couple of times they’d actually gone out to eat, they’d barely put any effort into their appearance, aside from Zayn who always looked like a model. Now, Liam could rival Zayn for his supermodel title. His hair was styled into a quiff, the sides looking as if he’d touched them up in the time he was gone. His face was cleanly shaven for the first time Louis had ever seen. He was wearing a black fitted trench coat, the collar slightly raised in the back and Louis bit back a Batman comment. The red plaid shirt underneath barely peeked out, but it was enough to make Louis giggle.

“What?” Liam asked, looking over himself.

“We match,” he responded, pointing to the red on his shirt and Liam’s eyes twinkled before they disappeared with his broadened grin.

“I guess we do. Great minds,” Liam said and Louis wasn’t going to point out it was Zayn who was the other great mind in his case. Liam pulled his hand out from behind his back and presented Louis with a sunflower. “Since Harry stole your zinnias yesterday, I thought maybe this might make up for it.” Louis blushed as he reached for the flower, laughing when he realized it was artificial. “This way it will last. That and I couldn’t find any live ones.”

Louis walked back into his flat to get his shoes, black Vans. “Any special reason for a sunflower?” He sat on the couch, pulling his shoes onto his bare feet and tying them as he waited for a response. When he was done and Liam still hadn’t answered, he looked up at the other boy, surprised to see how red his face was. “There must be. What is it?” Liam shook his head. “You can tell me.”

Liam rubbed his hand over the back of his neck and looked down at his feet. “Sunflowers mean adoration,” he whispered. 

Louis gasped a bit and Liam stepped back, but Louis reached out and pulled him back towards him by the belt of his coat. “And Zinnias?”

“Thoughts of friends,” he murmured. “Wasn’t sure if you thought last night was a date and didn’t want to go overboard, but today…” he trailed off.

Louis reached out and gently grasped his chin, forcing Liam to look at him. “I wish I had a sunflower for you,” he whispered before gently pressing his lips to Liam’s. The kiss was softer, but lasted the longest of the few they’d shared. 

Once they separated, Liam’s eyes disappeared into a smile again and Louis chuckled. “Guess we’ll just share this one,” Liam told him before taking it out of his hand and laying it on the coffee table. Louis looked at it for a moment, a small smile on his face. “Unless you wanted to carry it around all night.”

“Part of me wants to, but I have a feeling it wouldn’t be practical.” Liam just shrugged. “Where’re we going, anyway?”

“It’s a surprise,” Liam told him, glancing at his watch. “We better get moving though or we’ll miss our reservations.” Louis raised his eyebrows, mildly impressed that Liam had managed to pull together a date requiring reservations in just a couple of hours.

They talked amicably and joked around, fighting over the radio and singing along as Liam drove through London. Louis’ eyes widened when they pulled into a carpark near the London Eye. “Really?” he squeaked, bouncing happily in his seat.

“I remembered you asking us if any of us had ever gone and I know it’s probably because you wanted to bring Hareball, but I kind of wanted to be with you the first time,” Liam explained, his cheeks slightly pink. “Hope that’s alright?”

“Alright?! It’s amazing!” Louis leaned over and kissed him quickly before scrambling to get out of the car. Once he was out, he leaned back inside. “Are you going to sit there all night? Let’s go!” He could hear Liam’s laughter as he got out and followed him. Suddenly, Louis stopped walking, Liam bumping into him and wrapping an arm around his waist to keep him from stumbling. “Where do we go first?”

“Well, we have tickets for the River Cruise and it leaves in about ten minutes, so we should go there first. Then, when that’s done, we can go on the Eye itself.” Louis’ head was whipping around as he looked for where the boats were. When he spotted them, he grabbed Liam’s hand and tugged him towards them. “I have a feeling this is what it would be like to be here with Hareball.”  

“I can already tell this is something he would love. We’ll have to bring him next time,” Louis said, pulling backwards when Liam suddenly stopped walking. Louis turned to look at him and was blinded by the smile on the other boy’s face, as cliched as that sounded. “What?”

Liam just shook his head and Louis stared at him, trying to think back over his words.  _ We. Next time. _ The smile on his face grew to match the magnitude of Liam’s and then he started laughing, the sound as loud and nearly manic as he’d experienced the night before at the Halloween party.  

“Oh no!” Liam shouted, grabbing onto Louis and pulling him close, gently putting one hand over his mouth. “We are not doing this again.” He pulled his hand away when Louis’ laughter died down. “Now, if you don’t pull it together, we’re going to miss the boat.”

They walked quickly, hands clasped between them, towards the dock. Liam handed over the tickets he’d printed out earlier and they made their way onboard. Louis tugged him towards the stairs so they could sit in the open area on top. They settled into a couple of seats right up next to the guardrail going around. Louis stood and leaned over, laughing when he felt Liam’s hands grasp his back pockets. When the boat started to move, Liam tugged and Louis fell into his lap, laughing.  

Before Louis could move back to the seat he’d started in, Liam wrapped both arms around his waist and buried his face in his neck. “Nope,” he said, his breath tickling Louis’ neck and making him giggle.

Louis arched his back to reach into the pocket of his jeans to pull out his phone. He positioned it and snapped a quick selfie of the two of them and snapchatted it to Zayn who sent back a pic of Harry, Safaa, and himself on the sofa. Louis listened to the guide talk and snapped pictures, wiggling around in Liam’s lap and laughing the entire time. Liam kept whispering in his ear about all the different places the guide was pointing out, whether he’d been there or not, if the two of them should visit. Louis’ heart soared a bit, enjoying that Liam was already talking like he was going to stick around. Louis’ heart nearly exploded when Liam talked about bringing Harry with them.

Once the cruise was over, Louis gave Liam a quick kiss before crawling off his lap and standing. As soon as Liam was on his feet as well, Louis wrapped an arm around his waist and snuggled into Liam’s side. They walked over to wait in the queue to board the Eye. As the line moved forward, Louis kept snuggling closer to Liam, feeling the breeze off the water blowing under the back of his jacket.

“Cold?” Liam asked and Louis nodded, rubbing his cold nose into the side of Liam’s neck. Liam unbuttoned his coat and opened it, pulling Louis inside, his back to Liam’s chest. He then used his arms to hold the coat closed around Louis and rested his chin on his shoulder. “Better?” he asked, his warm breath ghosting over Louis’ earlobe and causing him to shiver as he nodded. They shuffled forward like that until it was their turn to step into a car with a crowd of other people.

They separated as they moved into the slightly warmer car and towards the edges for the best view. As the wheel turned and the car rose higher, Louis couldn’t keep from whipping his head around and pointing out the different sights: Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Canary Wharf. He was snapping photo after photo with his phone, hoping his data storage would hold out. Liam was laughing and Louis knew it was because he sounded like a child in all his excitement.  At one point, Liam kissed him on the mouth while he was mid-sentence and Louis melted a little bit.  

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but you two are adorable,” an elderly voice spoke from behind them. They broke apart, both blushing. “You remind me of me and my husband when we were young.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Liam said, smiling as he held a hand out. “My name’s Liam, this is Louis. How long have you and your husband been married?” 

“My name is Edith. Walter and I were married sixty-five years when he passed away in ‘99,” she answered, her voice sad. “He used to talk about wanting to ride the Eye when it finally opened to the public, but he didn’t make it.” She used a hankie she’d been holding to dab at her eyes, the smile never leaving her face.

“I’m so sorry,” Louis said, blinking back tears. He wanted to reach out and hug the woman, but stopped himself, not wanting to scare her.

Apparently, Liam didn’t hold that fear because he released Louis and hugged her. She smiled and hugged him back. “Thank you.” When Liam pulled out of the hug, Louis moved in and hugged her as well. “He’s in a better place and one day, I’ll join him. Until then, I visit the Eye every year on his birthday.”

“Happy birthday to Walter,” Louis told her and she smiled, patting his cheek.

“How long have you two been together?” she asked, smiling at them still.

Louis blushed. “Actually, this is our first proper date, but we’ve been friends for a few months,” he explained and she smiled and cooed at them. “Hey, would you take a picture with Liam and I? I’d really love to remember meeting you.”

“You flatter an old woman. Would this be a selfie, then?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with mirth as Liam laughed and nodded. She moved between them and Liam held out his phone and took two pictures, one with soft smiles and one with them all sticking their tongues out. “Will you send those to me?  My great-granddaughter taught me how to text.” She pulled her iPhone out and waved it at them.  

Liam grinned and got her number, quickly sending off both pics and Louis’ phone number as well as his own. “It was so very nice meeting you, Edith.”

“You boys, as well. I should be getting back to my granddaughter before she thinks the two of you are trying to take me home.” She let out a girlish giggle. “I just couldn’t pass up the chance to speak to you both. Hold on to each other, loves.” She gave them each another hug and a kiss on the cheek before walking away. 

Their eyes followed her until she reached, who must have been, her granddaughter who looked over at them both with a smile on her face and mouthed, “Thank you.” They nodded in response and watched as a little girl with curly red hair wrapped her arms around Edith, hugging her close and trying to grab away her phone. “Lemme see!” she was squealing. Louis and Liam shared a smile before turning back to look at the view. The car was making its way back down, so they leaned into each other, enjoying the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.

Once they’d exited the car, they wandered the area around the Eye, watching people on the swings and the carousel. Louis talked about bringing Harry to the playground. It would definitely be an all day trip when they came back. They were heading towards the car when Louis’ stomach growled loudly. “Hungry?” Liam asked and Louis shoved him. “Good thing that dinner is next on the agenda.”

They drove for about a half an hour, Liam apologizing for the length of the drive, but he really loved the place they were going. When they arrived, they went inside the North London Tavern and were seated relatively quickly considering it was a Saturday night. Over fish and chips, they talked about their day and Edith, and then, eventually started talking about themselves. About their pasts.

Louis learned about Liam being bullied in school and he felt a flash of anger at anyone who could possibly hurt someone as sweet as Liam. He tried to casually get him to name them so that he could hunt them down and kick all their arses, but Liam waved him off. “It was a long time ago. Let’s just look forward.”

Louis talked about his mum and his dads: birth, adopted and step. He whined about being the oldest of so many sisters and finally, just this year, one brother, while Liam complained about being the youngest of two sisters. “It was so confusing during puberty. I mean, here I was wondering when I was going to get my period, like Nic and Roo.” Louis laughed loudly at that and shared his own stories of tormenting Lottie when she first started having her monthlies. 

They stayed long after they’d finished eating, sharing a few beers and then decided it was time to call it a night. The ride home was quiet again, their hands joined between them as Liam sang quietly with the radio. Louis leaned his head back on the seat, his face turned to watch Liam in the changing lights of the passing cars. He could see Liam look at him with a curious look before Liam finally broke the silence. “What?” 

“This was really nice today. Thank you,” Louis whispered, afraid to speak too loud and disrupt the feeling in the car. “I don’t think anyone has ever planned something like this for me before.” Liam blushed and shrugged one shoulder, squeezing Louis’ hand. “Seriously, I really appreciate it. You let me be Louis for an evening. Just Louis.”

“Not Daddo,” Liam responded and Louis nodded, feeling a bit guilty. Liam must have picked up on that because he started to babble. “I can’t even begin to imagine becoming a dad at eighteen. I was only sixteen when Hareball was born.” He shook his head before continuing, clearly this wasn’t the first Liam had thought about this. “I lost my virginity at fifteen to a girl I didn’t really know. Her family had rented the cottage next to ours and we ended up at some townie’s party. Too much to drink. A game of truth or dare. Next thing I knew. Virginity gone. I don’t even know if we were safe. I barely remember it.” Louis smirked, feeling pity for the much younger Liam. “I could’ve become a dad right then. My life would’ve been drastically different.”

Louis was thoughtful. He didn’t want to ever sound like he regretted keeping Harry, because he didn’t; he knew it was the best decision he’d ever made. He knew his life would’ve been so different without him; he might have pursued acting instead of teaching, he might have moved to Hollywood, he might have auditioned for XFactor like he’d joked about before Harry. However, without Harry, he wouldn’t have the person who had become most important to him. He wouldn’t have the memories they’d built together. Without Harry, he would never have met Niall or Zayn. Without Harry, he wouldn’t have met Liam. Truthfully, he was eternally grateful for the path his life had taken, and he was glad he didn’t have to go through his life without Harry.

Liam got out of the car and opened Louis’ door when they got back to the building. As they started to walk away, Liam stopped by the back of the car. He was shuffling his feet and staring at them as the toes of his boots scuffed against the curb. Louis already knew that meant Liam had something on his mind, but wasn’t sure how to go about expressing it.

“Mate?” Louis asked, moving closer and taking both of Liam’s hands in his, ducking his head down to try and force Liam to look him in the eye. “Just spit it out, yeah?”

“Did you really want to have a sleepover?” Liam spoke hurriedly and then tried to pull his hands away when Louis began to laugh. “S’not funny,” he muttered.

Louis thought about how to word what was going through his head, so he squeezed Liam’s hands while he figured it out, reassuring him that he wasn’t laughing at him or ignoring the question. “I would love to have you stay tonight,” he started and felt relieved when Liam finally looked up at him, his lower lip caught between his teeth. “I don’t know what, if anything, will happen because a) it’s been a long time and b) this is all really new, but I would love to have you at least stay the night.” He pressed his lips to Liam’s, sighing happily when Liam’s tongue brushed against his lips, and Louis allowed entrance. The kiss lasted several minutes, Liam’s arms wrapping around Louis’ waist.

“Oi, get a room!” They broke apart and looked over towards the building and saw Zayn sitting on the steps, a cigarette dangling from the wicked smile on his lips. “I’ll take that to mean the date went well?”

Louis laughed and pushed at Liam before going over to join Zayn on the steps, pressing a quick kiss to the boy’s cheek accompanied by a quiet, “Yes. Thank you.” He looked up when he heard a boot slam shut and was surprised to see Liam with a duffle over his shoulder. “A bit presumptuous, aren’t we?”

Liam laughed. “No. Overly prepared. I was a boy scout.” 

Zayn whispered, “Means he’s probably got condoms and lube in there,” and Louis shoved him hard enough to send him down a stair.

“This is a go-bag. I always have it in my car, just in case.” He shrugged. “It’s come in handy a few times.”

“Smart man. That explains its appearance this morning,” Louis said, standing as Zayn crushed out his cigarette before throwing it in the bin by the door. 

The three entered the building. “How was Harry?”

Zayn beamed. “He was great. I think Safaa wants to take him home with her. He followed her everywhere, and I might have gotten a little payback when he started asking her about her girly bits.” Louis and Liam both laughed loudly. “That boy sure likes the word ‘why’.”

“Did he go to sleep alright?” Sleepovers weren’t something he did a lot of, so he wasn’t sure how Harry would sleep in a strange place.  

“Oh yeah. He fell asleep in Saf’s lap during the movie and we moved him into my room. I made sure to set up the frog and tucked Dog into bed with him. He’s been sound asleep since. Safaa is sitting with him now.”

Louis blinked back tears. These things were just reminders that his boy was growing up. Soon, he’d be spending more and more time away from Louis and he didn’t know how he would handle that. He felt Liam’s arm slip around his waist and his lips press to his temple. Louis let out the breath that he hadn’t’ realized he’d been holding. 

It was that moment that Louis William Tomlinson realized that he wasn’t alone in London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLr1)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLr1))  
> Lilo's outfits for their first date.
> 
> [](https://68.media.tumblr.com/5ff6f6758ef34aaaf04ae55b2bcfd09b/tumblr_otg0wpL9oL1r9qpkpo1_500.gif)  
> ([image link](https://68.media.tumblr.com/5ff6f6758ef34aaaf04ae55b2bcfd09b/tumblr_otg0wpL9oL1r9qpkpo1_500.gif))  
> The sunflower Liam gave Louis.


	12. Chapter 12 - November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments.
> 
> Rough few personal days, so not much to say here. I will say that I'm loving everyone's comments. Also, another of my favourite moments is in this chapter.
> 
> Thanks again to Jess for putting up with my needy arse and just being an amazing beta as always.
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

The muffled sound of Harry’s laughter drew Louis out of the dreamless sleep he’d finally fallen into the night before. He glanced over and saw the other side of the bed was empty and his heart stopped for a second. Pushing himself to sit up, he noticed Liam’s bag still sitting atop his bureau. Louis grinned and let himself fall back onto the bed with a bit of a giggle. 

He thought back to the day before, the Eye and dinner and then coming back to the flat. They’d cuddled on the couch, watching movies and snogging a bit before Louis interrupted one of their kisses with a yawn. Liam had kissed the tip of his nose and risen from the sofa.

_ “I’ll just set up the sofa,” he’d said, opening the linen closet, but Louis had stopped him. _

_ “Hazza will be upset if we don’t do this sleepover properly,” Louis had told him, pulling Liam behind him into the bedroom. “You can sleep in Harry’s bed, or…” He’d trailed off as he’d kept pulling Liam until they’d fallen onto the bed together. _

_ “I think I like ‘or’,” Liam had whispered before kissing Louis again and pulling the duvet over both of them. _

The rest of the night had just been a couple of kisses and snuggling into each other and now it was morning and Louis could feel the giggles taking over. He buried his face into the pillow so the others wouldn’t realize he was awake. He heard the door creak open and glanced over to see Harry peeking in. Louis stayed as still as he could as he watched Harry tiptoe across the room and crawl into bed next to him, curling up around Dog and closing his eyes. Liam stepped into the room a moment later, trying to be as stealthy as Harry, but failing when he stumbled over one of Louis’ shoes that had been left in the middle of the floor.

Their eyes met over Harry’s curled up form and Liam gave a shy little wave. “Morning,” he whispered. Louis gestured towards Harry with raised eyebrows. “Zayn was taking Safaa to breakfast before the train station, so he brought him home. Hareball said he was still sleepy, so I sent him in here. Sorry if he woke you.”

“I was awake,” Louis responded, moving carefully, sucking in a breath when Harry’s eyes popped open.

“Shhh,” Harry whispered, digging himself further under the duvet. Louis pressed a kiss to his forehead as he climbed out of the bed. “Loves you,” Harry murmured.

Liam and Louis headed into the sitting room, and Louis’ eyes lit up when he spotted the kettle already heating. Two mugs with tea bags were sitting on the counter. He rolled his eyes at the sugar jar. “You ruin your tea, you do realize?” Liam nodded around a smile, before leaning in to kiss him. Louis made a face and pulled away. “Morning breath.”

“Don’t care,” Liam said, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him in for a kiss and Louis thought that if Liam didn’t care if his breath was rank, he didn’t really care if Liam’s was. They kissed until the kettle whistled, causing both of them to scramble to stop it before it woke Harry. 

Once the tea was sorted, they settled on the couch at opposite ends, feet tangled in the middle. They were each playing on their phones while going between conversation and comfortable silence. “So, pizza tonight, yeah?” Liam asked.

“That’s what you promised Hazza; you’ll break his heart if we do something else,” Louis told him. 

“Do you think he might like  _ making _ pizza instead? He could make his own and we could make bigger ones or we could all make little ones. Choose our toppings, roll out the dough, all of that?” Liam was still looking at his phone.

“That actually sounds like it could be fun for all of us,” Louis said, picturing himself tossing pizza dough in the air, but, every time he did, he pictured it falling straight onto his face instead of his hands. “Where did that idea come from?”

Liam tilted his phone towards Louis and he saw a brightly coloured website titled  _ Kids in the Kitchen. _ “I was just trying to find something different to do with pizza. I thought if Hareball could pick his own toppings, he might come up with some interesting combinations.” His eyes scanned the screen as he continued talking, sometimes to himself and sometimes to Louis. “We can have some alfredo sauce and chicken; Zayn might like that. I bet Niall would go nuts over something strange like pineapple.” Louis could hear the excitement in Liam’s voice. “We’ll have to go to the market once Hareball wakes up, that way he can help us pick out the toppings.”

“I bet we could find some aprons and chef hats for everyone, too,” Louis said, only half-teasing.

“Yeah! We can make it a proper party and do dessert pizzas. I’m just sorry Safaa had to leave early and is going to miss it.”

“She has school tomorrow, maybe the next time she comes to town, we can do a special pizza night with her.” He glanced down at his phone, calculating how much time they had before Niall would be over. “We should get ready to go so that we can leave as soon as Hazza wakes up.” Louis rose to his feet, stretching and cracking his back. “Did you want to hop in the shower?”

Liam’s eyes widened and he nodded his head enthusiastically, confusing Louis. He thought back over what he had said and burst out laughing. “Not like that, you donut!” Liam chuckled and grabbed for him, Louis slapping his hands away. “The last thing I need is to explain to Hazza why Daddo and Pay-o are in the shower together.”

Liam pouted his lower lip and gave him his best puppy dog eyes, causing Louis to laugh. “Have you seen the eyes my son can give? You don’t stand a chance.” Louis was lying through his teeth; Liam’s puppy eyes were very persuasive; so, he shoved Liam towards the bathroom to avoid temptation. “Now, go. I’ll make up something quick to eat while you shower.”

Louis was making bacon sarnies when he heard a crash and a yelp from the bathroom. He raced towards the noise and ran into Harry, who was running towards him, his eyes wide and face flushed. “Daddo!” he shouted and threw himself at Louis, knocking him to the ground.  

“What?!” Louis ran his eyes over Harry, looking for injury. “Did you hurt yourself?”

Harry shook his head. “I had to go potty. I went in, and Pay-o in the shower!” Harry said.  “Pay-o in the shower!” he repeated.

Louis closed his eyes and groaned. It would figure that Liam wouldn’t lock the bathroom door, not being used to children running around. He can’t imagine what Harry thought when he saw Liam, or what went through Liam’s mind. “Harold, you know you’re supposed to knock when the door is closed.”

“Not Harold! I knock! He no answer,” Harry said, frustration clear in his voice. “He no answer. I go in. I go pee. I fwush. Pay-o scream and open curtain!” Louis’ eyes widened as he realized where this was going. Harry leaned in close just as Liam came stumbling out of the bathroom, hair soaking and trackies riding low on his hips. “I see his penis!” Louis opened his mouth to speak, but Harry wasn’t done. “It big, Daddo!”

Liam choked, and Louis couldn’t bring himself to look at him, not sure if he was more embarrassed for Harry for not realizing how inappropriate this conversation was, for Liam for being the topic of it, or for himself for being the only person in the room who hadn’t seen Liam’s dick. “You shouldn’t talk about other people’s private parts, and you definitely should not enter a closed room, especially the bathroom, unless someone says it’s alright.” Louis tried to keep his voice serious, but the awkwardness of the situation was beginning to get to him.

“He no answer!” Harry tried again before turning to Liam and tugging on his trackie leg, causing Liam to grab onto his waistband to avoid giving Louis more than a glimpse of his pubic hair. “I knock and you no answer!”

“I didn’t hear you, Hareball. The shower was running and I was singing,” Liam told him, his cheeks still red. “I’m not upset with you, alright?” Liam squatted down in front of him and held his arms out. Harry stepped into them and laid his head on Liam’s shoulder while they hugged.

“I sorry, Pay-o. I no talk about you penis no more,” he said, his voice serious. “I no tell Unca Zed and Unca Ni-All that it big.”

“Thank you,” Liam told him, and Louis could tell he was holding back a laugh. “Now, why don’t you go get dressed so we can go to the shops and get food for dinner.”

“We get pizza. You promised!” Harry told Liam, pulling out of the hug and pouting at him.

“We’re going to make our own,” Liam explained and Harry’s face lit up.

“I wants ‘nanas on mine!” 

Before Liam could respond, Harry wriggled free and headed towards the bedroom, mumbling about pizza. Liam rose to his feet and looked at Louis. They both burst out laughing.

“I am so embarrassed,” Liam said, hiding his face in his hands. “Why didn’t I lock the door?”

“You were probably hoping I’d change my mind and join you,” Louis said, flippantly, trying to keep the subject light.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Liam said, his voice still tight with embarrassment. He reached for Louis and pulled him into a hug, causing Louis’ back to stiffen when he realized just how little Liam was wearing.

“And I’m still the only person in this flat who hasn’t seen your dick,” he muttered into Liam’s shoulder. He realized just how loudly he’d spoken when he felt Liam’s chest rumble with laughter. 

“We can change that,” Liam whispered in his ear, wrapping his fingers into Louis’ waistband and pulling him tighter against himself; Louis sighed when he felt the shape of Liam through his trackies.

“Now  _ I’m _ embarrassed,” Louis said.

“Cuddles!” Harry shouted, throwing himself at the both of them, causing loud laughter all around, even if the littlest wasn’t sure what they were laughing about.

The trip to the shops was an adventure and Louis loved every moment of it, even if Liam seemed overly stressed by the entire trip. Harry never could sit still when they shopped, insisting that he walk next to the cart, but becoming distracted and wandering off many times. Louis thought Liam was going to have a heart attack the first time they turned around and couldn’t find Harry. Liam shouted for him and looked like he was ready to call the police when Louis just loudly called, “Harold!”

“Not Harold,” Harry said as he came from the next aisle, a box of cereal in his hands.

“You can’t wander away like that,” Liam snapped at him and Louis bristled a bit at his tone.

“He knows that, Liam. He never goes further than the next aisle,” Louis told Liam as Harry ignored them both, putting the box in the cart and holding onto the side. “He knew the cereal was next and went for it instead of waiting for you and I to debate the merits of pre-made and from-scratch pizza dough.”

“Someone could’ve taken him,” Liam argued, and Louis felt a flash of anger.

“I know that, Liam,” he responded, his voice harsher than he’d meant, feeling badly when Liam flinched. He took a deep breath and tried to temper his attitude. “We’ve talked about Stranger Danger numerous times.” Liam looked unconvinced, and Louis kept reminding himself that he was just concerned about Harry, not judging Louis’ parenting skills. “Hazza, what do you do if a stranger tries to take you?”

“Scream ‘Not my Daddo’ and kick and hit and bite. No yell ‘help’,” Harry said, his voice serious. “Get away. Run to worker.”

Louis heard Liam let out a breath of relief, and Louis wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him closer to him. “I don’t know how you do it,” Liam whispered and Louis chuckled with a shrug. “Why shouldn’t he yell help?”

“Kids yell for help all the time when they’re playing, it’s easy to ignore. If he’s telling people this person isn’t his parent, and loudly, they’re more likely to listen. I don’t remember where I learned it, but it made sense to me.” Louis watched Harry let go of the cart and start to walk away.  

Liam opened his mouth, but shut it again when Louis squeezed his hip. After a moment, Harry turned back around and offered a hand to Liam. “We go get ‘nanas,” he told him, and Liam looked at Louis before taking his hand and letting Harry lead him towards the other side of the store.

Louis wandered the aisles, grabbing items that he thought might make interesting pizza toppings. His mobile buzzed when he was standing in front of the refrigerated pizza dough. He distantly heard, “Clean up in produce,” paged overhead as he was pulling his phone out of his pocket. He glanced at his phone and saw a Snapchat notification from Liam. Opening it, he laughed at the picture of Harry looking at the bananas. “Picking out his own,” was written across it and Louis noted that Harry’s hand was reaching for a bunch on the bottom.

“Shit,” Louis whispered, grabbing the cart and racing towards produce.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson began reconsidering leaving Harry Edward Styles alone with Liam James Payne.


	13. Chapter 13 - November 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments! I hope everyone is having an amazing week!
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

When they got back to the flat, Liam held the majority of the bags, impressing Louis with his strength and large hands. While Louis unlocked his door, Harry went over and knocked out a rhythm on Zayn’s door that the other lad had taught him before following Liam and Louis inside.  A couple of minutes later, Niall was letting himself and Zayn in while Louis and Liam put away the groceries and Harry sat on the couch, eating a banana.

“Gang all here,” Harry said, laughing as Zayn sat next to him and tickled him.

“So, what’s for dinner?” Niall asked, his arms already full of bags of crisps and his nose in the bags Louis hadn’t gotten to yet. 

“PIZZA!” Harry shouted, wriggling out of Zayn’s arms and running to the kitchen to start digging in the bags with Niall. “We gots ‘nanas, pep-roni, yapples, chicken…” He kept pulling items out of bags and listing them off, making faces at some and squealing about others.

Zayn and Niall both looked a bit overwhelmed and Louis laughed at them. After a bit of shuffling and prep, the kitchen was set up like an assembly line and Louis called everyone in to hand out the aprons they had picked up at the shops. A half-hour of minor arguments and a lot of mess later, there were five pizzas in the oven, and everyone was settled in the living room.  The four men settled while Harry pulled a chair up in front of the oven and watched through the window.

“A watched pot never boils,” Liam called out to Harry.

“No pot, Pay-o,” Harry responded, not taking his eyes off the oven and giggling to himself. 

Louis tried a couple more times to get him to leave the kitchen, but finally gave up with a shrug. He figured if his son was having fun, who was he to stop him. He just went over and reminded Harry he was not to touch the stove. After his son nodded, he kissed the top of his head and moved back into the living room. Louis started to sit down next to Liam, but the other boy grabbed him and pulled him into his lap instead, pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

“This couple shit has got to stop,” Zayn said from his spot on the floor in front of the sofa, but his voice and smile were full of fond.

“It’s all your fault,” Louis told him, pushing at his back with his foot. 

“I know,” he responded, his voice proud, and Niall laughed loudly.

“Now, we just have to find you two people,” Louis said.

“I’ve got people,” Zayn responded. Niall watched the exchange silently, his thumb twisting against his lips as he chewed at the edge of a nail. 

“That’s the problem,” Louis said, softly. “We need to find you  _ a _ person, not people. Someone you’ll want to see for more than one night or at least for the whole night and next morning.” He was trying for teasing, but when Zayn glared up at him, he realized that he had failed miserably.

“Don’t,” Zayn said simply, and Louis held his hands up in surrender, but his heart hurt, a lot, at the pain in his friend’s eyes.

“Leave Zayn alone,” Liam said. “He’s doing fine, and he’s got us.” Zayn’s smile was grateful and they all turned to look at Niall, who wasn’t meeting anyone’s eyes. “We’ll work on finding someone for Niall. Didn’t you say there was that teacher at the school, Lou?”

“Oh yeah, Ellie. She’s pretty ace. Teaches music.” Louis watched Niall chewing on his fingers and ignoring them. “Ni?”

“Hmm?” the blond hummed, still focused on the demolition of his thumbnail.

“Did you want me to invite Ellie over?”

“No?” 

“Is that a question?” Liam asked.

“Yes?”

“Niall James Horan!” Louis snapped, patience wearing thin with his friend, but he was concerned at the same time; this behaviour was definitely odd for his ball-of-sunshine friend.

“Uh oh, Unca Ni-All in trou-ble,” Harry singsonged from the kitchen.

Niall’s face was bright red as he looked up at Louis. “Please don’t invite Ellie over. I’m…” he trailed off and started fiddling with his fingers again. Louis cleared his throat, causing Niall to jump a bit. “I’m kind of seeing someone.”

“WHAT!?!” Liam yelled. “How? When? Who?” Louis laid a hand on Liam’s arm, worried that the boy was going to jump up and dump him on the floor. Liam took a deep breath, holding Louis’ gaze. “I mean, tell us more, Niall.”

“Well, we’ve only actually been out once, but she’s been coming to the pub while I’m working.” He finally looked at everyone else. “She’s really nice. She and her sister are American and moved here because the father of the family her sister nannies for was transferred. She works in a coffee shop, while trying to write. They’re renting the flat above the pub, so sometimes I go see her after work,” his words came out in a jumble. “She’s really nice,” he said again after taking a deep breath and looking back down at his hands.

“Does  _ she _ have a name?” Liam asked after the silence went on. Niall nodded his head, and they all waited in silence.

“And what is her name?” Louis finally asked, realizing this was going to be like pulling teeth. “And why haven’t we heard about her? And when do we get to meet her?” Niall looked up at him with wide eyes. “Niall, are you ashamed of us?” The blond shook his head wildly, and then glanced over at Zayn before looking back at Louis again.

Zayn caught the glance and his eyes narrowed to glittering slits. “Really? What? You think I’m going to hit on your bird?” Zayn snorted. “And I thought we were friends.” He pushed to his feet and headed towards the door.

“No go! Pizza almost done!” Harry called, running over to Zayn and latching onto his legs. Louis stood up to collect Harry, but Liam stopped him with a finger through his belt loop.

“Sprout, let go of my legs, please,” Zayn pleaded, his voice tight like they’d never heard before. “I just need to leave for a few minutes, but I’ll be right back.”

“Promise?” Harry asked, sniffling and pouting out his lips.

“Pinky promise,” Zayn said, holding out his finger and smiling sadly when Harry hooked his through with a smile and a kiss to their joined digits, waiting until Zayn did the same. Then Harry watched as Zayn opened the door and left without another word.

Niall sat staring at the door for several long moments after it closed behind Zayn. “I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings,” he said, quietly, blinking his eyes. “He’s just really fit and charming and lots of people like him.” He started to chew his thumb again. “I’m a shit friend.”

“Bad word, Unca Ni-all,” Harry said, coming over to sit in his lap, leaning into his chest and pulling his hand away from his mouth to play with this fingers, green eyes staring up at Niall.

“I know, Little Man. I’m sorry.” Niall laid a cheek against Harry’s forehead, cuddling the boy.

“Why Unca Zed sad?” Harry asked, looking at them all, expression expectant. “Did he get a boo-boo?”

Louis was looking down at Harry, trying to figure out how to explain hurt feelings. He started to open his mouth, but stopped when Liam slid to the floor, pulling Harry over into his lap, ignoring Niall’s huff. “Uncle Zayn has a boo-boo, but you can’t see it, Hareball. No one can.”

“Why?”

“It’s inside of him. Probably somewhere around here,” he said, pointing to Harry’s chest.

“As-ma?” Harry asked and Liam looked confused for a second before shaking his head.

“Not his lungs. His heart.” Harry’s eyes filled with tears.

“Make him better, Pay-o!” he shouted. “Daddo! Ni-All! You has to makes him better!” Harry was looking towards the door. “What we do?” Liam was beginning to look panicked until Louis slid to the floor as well, reaching for Harry who was so upset, his small body was trembling. The boy crawled into his lap and started tracing Louis’ tattoos with tapping fingers. “What we do?” he repeated.

“Hugs and kisses will help, Hazza,” he whispered into his hair. “Tell him you love him.” Harry nodded and looked at the door again before scrambling to his feet. 

“Now?” 

Louis looked at the other two; Niall was still chewing his fingers and Liam was trying to wrestle the, now bloody, digits out of his mouth. “I’m going to take Harry to look for Zayn, yeah?” Liam nodded while he moved closer to Niall, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Louis stood up, and Harry hurried to the door, sliding into his shoes while he waited. Louis grabbed their hoodies, just in case Zayn had gone outside. They knocked on his door and when he didn’t answer, they took the lift downstairs and outside. Zayn was sitting on the top step, an unlit cigarette rolling between his fingers, his other hand absently flicking his lighter. Louis barely had the door open before Harry was racing towards Zayn and jumping on him, nearly causing the man to slip down a step.

“I loves you, Unca Zed!” he shouted and then pressed a kiss right to the middle of his chest before wrapping his arms around him and holding on tightly.

Zayn looked confused, but kissed the top of Harry’s head, pocketing the lighter and sliding the cigarette behind his ear. “Love you, too, Sprout.” He looked up as Louis dropped down next to him. “What’s this, then?”

“Liam told Harry you have a boo-boo inside,” Louis explained. Zayn’s eyebrows raised in question.

“Right here,” Harry said, pointing to the spot he’d kissed. “Pay-o say you heart has boo-boo.”

Zayn chuckled. “Payno is pretty smart, isn’t he?”

Harry nodded. “Daddo say hugs, kisses and ‘loves you’ make you better.” He looked up at Zayn, face serious. “It work? You better?”

Zayn’s smile was sad, but he nodded. “All better, Sprout.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. “You lie.” He poked Zayn’s chest. “Eyes still sad.” He pouted and pressed another to kiss to Zayn’s chest before snuggling into him. “I loves you, Unca Zed.”

“I love you, too.” He looked at Louis. “Both of you.” He tilted his head towards the building. “All of you.” Louis leaned into his shoulder and felt Zayn lay his head on his. “I haven’t had mates like you lot since I moved to London two years ago.” He sighed. “When I first moved here, I didn’t leave the flat for two months. I stayed in and painted. I completed enough to fill a portfolio and started going around to different studios to try and get someone to show my work. Everywhere I went, I kept getting rejections for my artwork, but offers to photograph me.” His voice was bitter. “No one cared about anything except how I looked.” 

“You han-some,” Harry said, taking Zayn’s cheeks in his hands.

“Is that why you love me?” Zayn asked him, and Louis started to speak up, to remind Zayn that Harry was only four and couldn’t understand that question.

“No.” Harry shook his head quickly. “I loves you ‘cuz you funny. You play with me and pretend you not grow up. You colour with me and teach me to draw Dog.” He pressed a kiss to Zayn’s nose. “I loves you ‘cuz you nice.”

Louis blinked back tears and saw that one was trailing down Zayn’s face. He reached over and wiped it away. “I love you, too, Zayn. I love you because you make my life interesting. I love you because you are always there when I need you. I love you because you are beautiful in here.” He tapped his chest. “And here.” His temple. “The packaging is unimportant.”

They startled when Niall and Liam dropped down onto the steps behind them. “I love you because you put up with me acting like a twat,” Niall said, making Zayn chuckle and snuggle into Harry and Louis a little more.

They all turned to Liam with expectant looks on their faces. Liam threw his head back and laughed loudly. “I love you because you are always thinking of everyone else and, if it weren’t for you, Lou and I still wouldn’t have gone on a proper date.”

The group shared smiles as they moved closer together, everyone touching everyone else in some way. Hands and feet and arms and legs and heads leaned into each other.  After a few minutes, Harry’s voice piped up. “Where pizza?” Everyone burst into laughter before getting up and heading back inside, arms wrapped around each other, to eat their creations.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that these friends were more than just friends, they were his family.


	14. Chapter 14 - November/December 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Mid-Week Moments! 
> 
> I hope everyone is doing well! I'm having a meh week, but I'm still here, so let's all be happy about that! *laughs*
> 
> Big, huge, endless thanks to [Jess](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyestelllies) for being the most amazing, wonderful, patient beta in the entire universe. My stories would be such a mess without her, I swear. I love you, babe!
> 
> Don't forget, I update every Monday and Mid-Week (Wednesday), but I can be a little stinker and post surprise updates. If you want to find out right away, be sure to subscribe to the story, or to me.
> 
> Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful kudos, comments, and love I've gotten from this story. Each and every one of those is what keeps me updating and not chucking the whole thing in the bin.
> 
> Have a great week! See you again soon!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

November flew by quickly because Louis got busy with play rehearsals for the school’s production of _A Christmas Carol._ The school allowed him to cast Harry as Tiny Tim, which was exciting for the boy and a relief for Louis because he didn’t have to worry about someone watching him in the evenings and taking advantage of Niall. Niall used his free evenings to spend more time with Sunny, as they finally learned his lady friend’s name was, and mentioned he might be bringing her to one of the performances to meet everyone.

Liam and Louis spent as much time together as they could, with Harry and without. Zayn offered to keep Harry overnight several times, so that the two of them could go out together. No one commented on the effect these sleepovers had on Zayn’s social life, as long as he wasn’t complaining, no one was going to argue. Harry had taken to making sure he told Zayn every single day that he loved him and kissing him over his heart, everyone pretending to ignore the dampness in the dark-haired lad’s eyes every single time.

Although Liam was working a lot of twenty-four hour shifts, he made sure to come into rehearsals on his days off to help build sets while Zayn showed up to help paint backdrops. They both took turns bringing dinner for Louis and Harry and keeping Harry occupied when Louis was busy with the rest of the cast. The students all flocked to the three of them, girls sighing over Liam and Zayn while cooing over Harry; a few of the boys as well.  

The most surprising and exciting thing that happened during the run was the appearance of not just Louis’ family, but Liam and Zayn’s as well. Opening night, Louis was already a bundle of nerves and when Liam appeared in front of him with people he recognized from photographs, he nearly fainted.

“Don’t kill me,” Liam whispered when he hugged him. “They just showed up; guess I talked about the play a bit.”

Liam’s mother, Karen, tutted at him while pulling him off of Louis before wrapping him in a hug. “Ignore my son. He talked you and Harry up,” she told him, laughing when Liam groaned behind her. “Now, where is Harry?” She looked around so eagerly that Louis’ nerves built up into a giggle.

Harry walked up at that moment, his crutch dragging behind him as he stared wide-eyed at Liam’s family and then started pointing. “Nic. Roo. Nana Payne. Papa Payne,” he said before hugging everyone.

Karen laughed as she hugged him. “Hi, Harry, it’s nice to finally meet you and your father.”

"Harry, how did you know who they were?” Louis asked, surprised. He looked at Liam who had a hand over his red face.

“Skype,” Harry responded, his head turning to the side. “Saf!!!” he shouted, dropping his crutch and racing away.

Louis looked up and saw Zayn approaching with a group of people nearly as good-looking as he was. He recognized Safaa, but the others he could only assume were his other sisters and parents. Within minutes, Louis’ family joined them and they took up a majority of the space backstage. Harry stood in the middle, looking around and smiling at everyone. “Lotso people!” Everyone got a good laugh out of that. Shortly after, it was time for the show to start, so the families raced to their seats while Louis and Harry got ready for curtain.

After the show that night, the three families went out for dinner, taking up the whole of a small room at the restaurant. Niall walked in with a cute redhead, pointing at her and shouting, “Everyone, this is Sunny. Sunny, this is everyone!” The group laughed and although they all tried to speak to her individually, the couple didn’t stick around long enough to make it possible. Louis wondered if Niall was still nervous about Zayn meeting her, but then he heard Sunny saying something to his mum about needing to get to bed early. Overall, the night was so full of fun and laughter that Louis realized he couldn’t find it in himself to worry about anything.

When the curtain fell on the final night after Harry’s loud and proud, “God bless us, everyone,” Louis blinked back tears at his cast taking their bows. He laughed when they pulled him on stage to bow with them and smiled when they presented him with a huge bouquet of roses. His grin grew when Harry came out holding a small flower pot with red and white amaryllis growing strong inside. He looked towards the front row, where Liam tried to wink and mouthed, “Dramatic,” to him.

After the crowd had left, Louis took a few moments to sit on the stage and just take in the success of his first production. He was startled by the appearance of the Head of School. “Mr. Arthur!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet to shake the man’s hand. The Headmaster commended Louis on a great job, stating that he was looking forward to what Louis would do with the spring musical. He also complimented Louis on Harry’s performance and excellent behavior before taking his leave and telling him he’d see him after the holidays.

The next day was crazy with everyone pitching in to strike the set. Niall spent more time on his phone texting with Sunny than helping, but no one complained when he went to pick up lunch for the entire cast and crew. Zayn rolled up backdrops to be used in future productions and Liam helped store the larger pieces of furniture in the prop loft above the stage. Harry ran around trying to help anywhere he could, but mostly ended up keeping everyone’s spirits up with his enthusiasm. Louis spoke with a few of the students while they were disassembling some of the bigger set pieces, including the turntable in the center of the stage, about what musicals they would be interested in doing in the Spring.

“ _Newsies_ ,” suggested George, a curly-haired lad who reminded Louis of an older brown-eyed version of Harry.

“Not enough female roles,” countered Ella, a cute little blond that never seemed to stray far from George’s side.

“So, the girls can be boys,” argued Josh, one of George’s best friends.

“You know, in the original performances of Shakespeare’s plays, the female roles were played by men,” Louis told them. “It wouldn’t be a stretch to have the girls play boys. Plus, there are some pretty awesome female roles.”

Jesy, the school secretary’s grandaughter, and her group of chatty friends joined in the conversation. “I’m not saying you’re wrong, but since the company is predominantly female this year, don’t you think we should do something with a little more gender balanced cast?” asked the usually quiet Jade.

“Maybe, once people see that Drama is fun again, we’ll get more boys, and we can do _Newsies_ next year,” added Leigh-Anne from her spot next to Jesy. “What do you think, Pezza?” she asked the last of their group, a blonde girl who was staring at Zayn, causing Louis to chuckle.

“Don’t care, honestly,” she answered before sighing and turning back to removing the screws from the case around the motor of the turntable.

“What about _Grease_?” asked Jesy, smiling when her boyfriend, Jake, agreed.

Louis’ grin grew; he loved that musical. He’d played Danny when he was in school. He opened his mouth to speak, but Liam walked up holding Harry at that moment, the younger boy sniffling and holding out his finger. “What’s up, Hazza? Did you get a booboo?”

“He was helping me move a footstool and got a splinter from the bottom. He won’t let me look at it,” Liam explained, and Louis had to laugh when the girls all moved to surround them.

“Aww, poor baby,” Ella cooed, reaching out to give Harry a tickle, but the boy just curled into Liam more.

“Can I see?” Louis asked Harry, and the boy held his finger out. The sliver wasn’t bad, but it was red and looked like it hurt.

“Here’s the first aid kit,” Jade spoke quietly, giving Harry a smile that the boy tried to return, but ended up just whimpering a little.

Liam held Harry while Louis dug around in the kit for tweezers and antiseptic. He felt badly when Harry started to cry as he wiped the cleaner over his finger. The girls started to sing _Summer Lovin’_ to distract him, the boys taking over the male part quickly. By the time Harry had a band-aid wrapped around his finger, he was joining in and jumped from Liam’s arms to dance with Jesy. When the song was over, Louis already had his cast chosen.

“Guess that settles that; _Grease_ is the word,” Louis announced, laughing as the kids, including Harry, cheered.

Once the set strike was over, Louis said goodbye to the kids, telling them he would see them after the winter holidays. Harry was waving goodbye and giving hugs to everyone who got too close to him. It was a Sunday and getting late, so they headed back to Louis’ for Lad’s Night. Harry was babbling tiredly in the back seat of the car. “Sunny coming,” he said, and Liam looked in the rearview mirror.

“Pardon?”

“Unca Ni-All say Sunny come to Lad’s Night. They bring food.” Harry was staring out the window and yawned loudly, leaning back in the seat, finally quiet.

“This could be interesting,” Louis said to Liam, squeezing his hand.

“He must be serious about her, if he’s bringing her. Not Lad’s Night anymore,” Liam agreed.

“It wasn’t really all lads anyway,” Louis said, smiling to himself. “You being a boy and not a lad.”  Liam pulled his hand free and punched Louis’ shoulder gently as he parked the car.

Leaning over, he kissed Louis, his eye on Harry in the backseat, who just smiled at them, seemingly unbothered, so far, by the affection between Louis and Liam. “Are you sure I’m not a lad yet?”

Louis laughed against his mouth before escaping out of the car and letting Harry out. “Let’s get upstairs. I’m sure Niall is probably already chewing through his fingers.”

Harry raced ahead of them and knocked on Zayn’s door. When they let themselves into the flat, Niall was already in the kitchen, setting the table. The auburn-haired girl next to him looked up with a smile. “Hello,” she greeted.  

“Hi, Unca Ni-All!” Harry disappeared down the hall and came back a moment later with Dog and a blanket. He crawled onto the couch and curled up, watching everyone.

“Tired, sweetie?” Sunny asked, coming over to kneel next to the couch.

“Yes,” he responded, smiling. “I Harry.” He held Dog up to her face. “This Dog.”

“Hello, Harry. Hello, Dog,” she said, kissing the tip of the stuffed animal’s nose. “It is very nice to meet you both.”

Louis watched her interact with Harry and decided he liked her. Once Harry had closed his eyes, after a bit more whispered conversation with Sunny, she stood up and faced them. She looked nervous and Louis felt badly for her, realizing she’d started with Harry because she was nervous. “The play was really good,” she said, smiling. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you that night.”

Louis smiled. “Thank you. It was a bit of a crazy night, but I appreciate you coming to see it. We’re going to be doing _Grease_ in the Spring.”

“I love that one.” She turned her smile to Liam. “Liam, right? Niall’s housemate? Louis’ boyfriend?”

Liam had been reaching a hand out, but froze when her words sunk in. Louis let out a startled laugh and Liam’s face turned red. Sunny looked at Niall who had a hand over his face. “What? Did I screw it up? Are you Zayn?”

There was a knock at the door and Niall hurried to open it, letting Zayn in. “This is Zayn,” Niall said and Sunny looked really embarrassed.

“Then, I’m confused,” she said, looking at Liam who still hadn’t moved. “If you’re not Liam, then who are you?”

Zayn gave her a strange look. “That is Liam.”

Louis was still laughing and finally he moved to Liam’s side, grabbing his hand. Then he took Sunny’s hand and placed it in Liam’s and made them shake, finally breaking Liam out of his stupor. “I’m sorry. Yeah, I’m Liam. Niall’s housemate.”

“Daddo’s boyfwend,” Harry said from the couch, eyes still closed, but a small smile on his face. That boy was getting far too good at feigning sleep.

“And, apparently, my boyfriend,” Louis said, his cheeks hurting from how large his smile was.  He glanced at Liam, afraid of his reaction to that declaration, and sighed with relief when he saw the relaxed set of his shoulders and matching smile on his face.

That was the moment Liam James Payne became Louis William Tomlinson’s boyfriend.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLGz)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLGz))
> 
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLGT)  
> ([image link)](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLGT)


	15. Chapter 15 - December 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!!!
> 
> Today is a very special day for me, so I decided to do a surprise update. Welcome to My Daughter's Birthday Moments!
> 
> That's right. Today, my youngest daughter becomes a teenager (Heaven, help me) and is eagerly looking forward to getting a Twitter and a tumblr of her own (again, Heaven, help me). This is the daughter that drew the image in my cover for this story (using her non-dominant hand, because really, she is an awesome artist) and I couldn't be prouder of the kid she's growing up to be (even if she is a handful at times).
> 
> So, now that I've bored you all with this, I'll get to the chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

After the Liam-Zayn-Boyfriend-Not-Boyfriend incident, Sunny still looked confused and Louis was happily unsettled. Luckily, Niall stepped in and told everyone that dinner was ready. He and Sunny had made some chili and homemade bread. Harry lifted his head from the arm of the couch when Louis called him to the table, but he shook his head in refusal and laid back down. “Sweepy,” he said when Louis asked if he was feeling alright.

Liam walked over and kissed his forehead, looking at Louis and shaking his head with a concerned frown. “He’s not warm,” he said as he sat at the table, pressing a kiss to Louis’ cheek.  

“It’s been a long few weeks, probably just exhausted,” Louis responded, but he was still a bit worried. He turned to everyone else, trying to distract himself. “So, who is planning what for the holidays?”

“I’m going to ride with Liam and Niall to Wolverhampton and then take the train to Bradford, but we’re not leaving until a couple of days before Christmas,” Zayn spoke up first.

“I have to work a few days before I can leave,” Liam said, shrugging sadly. “I was lucky that I got someone to take my Christmas shift for me so I could go home.”

"The pub is closing in a few days so that Bressie can go back to Ireland to see his family. My mum’s going on a cruise, and dad is traveling as well, so I figured it was better to stay in England and Payno was nice enough to invite me home,” Niall said around a mouthful of food.

“No talk with food,” Harry’s voice piped up as he stood between Louis and Liam’s chairs. His eyes still look tired, but he was looking at the food on the table. He moved over to Sunny. “My chair.”

“I’m sorry, Harry,” Sunny said and started to stand up, but before she got very far, Harry climbed up into her lap. 

“Harold,” Louis started, but Sunny just picked up a spoonful of chili and pointed it towards Harry’s mouth.

“Not Harold,” he said before taking a bite and smiling at Sunny. “Yum!” he said after swallowing and opening his mouth up wide for another bite.

“You’re creating a monster,” Liam told Sunny.

“At least it’s not my fault this time,” Zayn said, smiling. “Someone else can be the bad influence for once.”

“Where you go?” Harry asked looking at Sunny after another bite and taking the spoon from her, filling it with chili.

“Go?” she asked, laughing around the spoonful of chili Harry shoved into her mouth.

“Unca Zed go home. Pay-o go home. Unca Ni-All go Wolfie with Pay-o. We go Donnie,” Harry listed off, pointing at each person and then pointing at Sunny.

"Oh. Right. My sister, Rain, and I are going home to the States to see our mom,” she told Harry. “We leave tonight.” Niall pouted. “You’ll be alright; we’ll be back in a couple of weeks.” She threw her balled up napkin at him, and Harry’s face lit up as he grabbed for Liam’s napkin and threw it at Niall.

“Harold,” Liam said and Harry’s head whipped around so he was glaring at Liam.

“Not Harold,” he said with a bit of sass before turning his attention back to Sunny. “You Sunny. Sister Rain?” Sunny nodded and Harry giggled.

“Seriously?” Zayn asked, his jaw dropped open around a spoonful of chili he’d been about to put into his mouth.

“Hippie parents. Sunshine and Raincloud.” She shrugged. “So, your name isn’t Harold?” 

Harry shook his head. “Harry. Hazza. Harebear. Hareball. Sprout. Little Man,” he rattled off, smiling with each name. “Not Harold.”

“Do I get my choice?” she asked and Harry looked confused. “I like Hazza, can I call you that?” 

“No. Daddo call me that. Nana call me Harebear.” He took another bite of chili.

“I call him Hareball, Zayn calls him Sprout, and Niall calls him Little Man,” Liam finished.

“And Harold?” Sunny asked.

“Not Harold,” Harry argued.

“Just means it’s serious,” Louis explained. “You see the reaction that gets.” Sunny nodded.

“I think I’ll just call you Harry,” she whispered in his ear and he gave her a huge smile.

“Please. Tank you, Sunny.”

Lad’s Night ended early because Niall had to get Sunny home to finish packing before they headed to the airport. Zayn offered to take Harry, but he was already half-asleep and wanted to stay home with Louis. By ten o’clock, it was just Liam, Louis and Harry. 

“I guess I should go soon,” Liam said, snuggling Harry who was tapping his fingers on Liam’s chest and giggling softly.

“You go Wolfie?” Harry asked.

“Not yet. Not until after you and Daddo leave for Donnie,” Liam told him.

“You stay here,” Harry said.

“Yep, I’m staying in London until then,” he told him, smiling when Louis sat down, passing a beer to him and a glass of milk to Harry.

“No. Stay here,” Harry said, before sitting up more and drinking his milk. “With me. You sleepover.”

Louis sighed. Until now, Liam had only stayed over on nights that Harry wasn’t there. Nothing had happened other than some snogging, but he wasn’t sure how Harry would react. Now, after Harry called Liam his boyfriend earlier, he really wasn’t sure what they should do. “Harry, do you know what a boyfriend is?”

“Liam and you,” Harry said. “You fwiends. You boys.”

“Does that mean Niall and I are boyfriends?” Liam asked.

“No, donut,” Harry said, grinning at the insult, and looking so adorable about it, Louis couldn’t bring himself to reprimand him. “You no kiss Niall. You kiss Daddo.”

“I kiss you,” Liam said. 

Harry sighed. “No.” He leaned up and kissed Liam’s cheek. “Harry kiss.” Then, he reached for Louis’ shirt and pulled him close and grabbed Liam’s ear and pushed his face at Louis until their lips met. “Now Daddo kiss.”

Louis couldn’t help the laugh that escaped as Liam hesitantly kissed him. Then, Harry sighed. “Now kiss!” Harry shouted, pressing their faces together more until Louis felt a pain in his nose.

Louis wiggled free. “You were hurting my nose,” he explained to his son.

“Sowwy,” Harry said, smiling at them both. “Now, sleepover.” Harry crawled off their laps and headed towards his room. “I gets top!”

Once Harry was gone, Louis turned to look at Liam, yelping in surprise when Liam grabbed his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Once they broke apart, Liam smiled. “I won’t stay if you don’t want me to. I understand.”

Louis took a deep breath. He knew they had only been dating for a bit over a month, but his son already accepted Liam as a part of their lives; this really seemed the next step. There was no rule book for dating with children; he had checked a few times, even asked his mother for advice, but he was on his own. “Stay, please. We’ll see how it goes, but I am not doing anything but sleeping.” Liam pouted. “Once we’re in that bed.”

“Pay-o!” Harry called from the bedroom, and they walked together to find him already in Louis’ bed with a book. “Story?” Liam looked over at Louis who smiled and pushed him towards the bed. Liam crawled in beside Harry and took the book from him. “Daddo?” Louis raised his eyebrows in surprise, but crawled into the bed on the other side of Harry. “Okay. Once time...”

The next morning, Louis woke up to lips pressed to his and blinked his eyes open slowly. “What did I tell you?” he asked when the kiss broke.

“Harry’s at the table eating breakfast. I figured you would be hungry. Plus, I wanted to spend as much time together as we can today. Last day for a bit,” Liam whispered. 

“Don’t remind me,” Louis said, finally giving in and kissing him. “I still have so much to pack. I’m lucky you were smart enough to come up with the idea of shopping online and shipping everything directly to my mum’s.” 

They kissed lazily for several minutes before the bed shifted and Harry was pressing his face up to theirs. “Boyfwend kiss!” he squealed and then screeched as Louis began tickling him.

The day passed far too quickly, and Louis worried that Liam wasn’t getting any extra sleep before heading to the firehouse that night to start a forty-eight hour shift. Normally, he didn’t work more than twenty-four at a time, but with the holidays and switching schedules around, several of the firemen were working longer stretches. Louis was thankful that they were able to sleep when not out on calls.  

“Please be safe,” Louis said, pressing another kiss to Liam’s lips by the door as Harry stood with his arms wrapped around Liam’s waist. “Get as much sleep as you can, and don’t push yourself too hard.”

Liam rolled his eyes. “Yes, Dad,” he said, his voice fond.

“My Daddo,” Harry spoke up, squeezing tighter. “Miss you, Pay-o. We go bye-bye. We come back.”

Liam let go of Louis to reach down and pick Harry up to rest on his hip, then wrapping his other arm around Louis and pulling him close. Louis pushed his nose into Liam’s neck, blinking back tears and feeling foolish for being so emotional. It was only a couple weeks. “I’m going to miss both of you so much,” he told them, pressing a kiss to Harry’s forehead. “You can call me every single day, Hareball.  And, Lou, you know you can contact me anytime, day or night. As long as I’m not on a call, I will respond.”

“Same goes for you,” Louis whispered.  

“Skype!” Harry spoke up. “Miss you face.” He patted Liam’s cheeks and kissed him on the nose. “Loves you, Pay-o.”

“Love you, too,” He squeezed him one more time before setting him on the ground. “Why don’t you go make sure that Dog and Frog are ready to go.” Harry nodded and waved as he hurried to his room.

Once Harry was gone, and they heard him talking to himself or, more likely, Dog and Frog, Liam wrapped both arms around Louis and hugged him tight. “I’m going to drive you crazy with all of my texts and calls,” Louis whimpered into his neck. “You won’t ever want to speak to me again when we get back.”

“Impossible,” Liam responded, using one of his hands to force Louis to look up at him. “I will be at your door on the fourth of January with a bouquet of gardenias and day lilies.”

Louis smiled; he had grown fond of Liam’s bouquets, and Harry loved taking photographs of them and putting them into an album. The part he loved most was that Liam always put thought into them, into what they meant. He glanced over at the table to see the small pot of forget-me-nots that Liam had picked up for him that day while they were out. “What do gardenias and day lilies mean?”

“The two emotions I’ll be feeling that day. Joy and Enthusiasm,” he responded, kissing him gently.

Three words stuck on the tip of Louis’ tongue. He had no problem telling Zayn or Niall that he loved them, but it seemed more difficult to say it to Liam. He knew it was because the words would hold a different meaning, they would mean so much more. Liam hadn’t said them either, so he knew the other boy must feel the same way. Or, at least, he hoped so.

“Two weeks,” Liam repeated, pressing two quick kisses to his lips. “I’ve got to go. I still have to run home for more clothes, since I used my go-bag to stay here last night.” He untangled himself and slowly opened the door behind him. 

Louis watched Liam as he exited. Once the door was shut behind him, Louis took a deep breath and wiped at his eyes before turning to call out to Harry to hurry so that they could hit the road. He had considered waiting until the following morning to leave, but decided it would be best to drive the two and half to three hours tonight while Harry was a bit tired.

Harry slept for most of the drive and Louis was glad to see his step-dad, Dan, come outside to help him get Harry and their stuff from the car. Louis was immediately wrapped into a hug from his mother when he entered the house, a warm mug of tea pressed into his hands. They sat up talking for an hour before the long day caught up with him and he started yawning. He headed towards his old room, smiling when he opened the door to see Harry sound asleep in the bed they used to share. Crawling in, he wrapped himself around his son and kissed his curls.

He lay awake for another hour, staring at the ceiling and listening to the quiet in the house. He’d never realized how heavy silence could be until he missed the sounds of London: traffic, Zayn’s headboard, Liam’s soft snores. He threw an arm over his eyes and shifted restlessly. He heard his phone buzz and picked it up, smiling at the good night message from Liam. He felt Harry move and curl into him, his hand coming to rest on his chest and a slurred, “Pay-o,” breathed out in sleep.

It was at that moment that Louis William Tomlinson realized that home is where the heart is, and his was split between Doncaster and London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://68.media.tumblr.com/9bcc5316f74f64fcbc7b1773d66060fd/tumblr_otgpiaPMHF1r9qpkpo1_540.jpg)  
>  ([image link](https://68.media.tumblr.com/9bcc5316f74f64fcbc7b1773d66060fd/tumblr_otgpiaPMHF1r9qpkpo1_540.jpg))
> 
> Also, I'm considering going down to one update a week, instead of the schedule two. How would you guys feel about that? (If there's anyone out there to see this question, please drop me a comment or a note on [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG) or [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com/).)
> 
> Have a great rest of the weekend. See you soon!


	16. Chapter 16 - December 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments, everyone!
> 
> Thank you so much for all of the great feedback you gave me on the posting schedule. My beta and I are going to work really hard to keep to the twice a week schedule, but if something comes up, I will be sure and let you know. I will not leave you hanging.
> 
> This story is done. It was completely written before I even posted the first chapter, so don't worry that, even if the posting slows down, it won't be finished. It is and will finish being posted.
> 
> I hope everyone has a really great week and I plan to see you Mid-Week!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Time with his family moved in an odd combination of quick and slow for Louis. He loved being surrounded by his sisters and brother, watching Harry interact and light up with all of the attention, but he was missing Liam and the other boys terribly. Harry told everyone all about his new uncles and best friend, Payno. He talked about Halloween and the party and Ed. He even brought up Liam’s sleepover the night before he left and Louis could feel the blush on his cheeks at the look that his mother gave him.

Before Louis could blink, it was the night before his birthday and Harry was bouncing around the house in excitement. He was helping Jay make a cake and wouldn’t let Louis into the kitchen, pushing him out, laughing, every time he’d even try to enter. “I just want tea!” Louis shouted, his voice choked on laughter.

Harry carefully brought Louis a half-full cup of tea and told him to stay out of the kitchen. Louis smiled and sat on the couch, sipping the tea and texting with Liam. It wasn’t very late, but he could tell Liam was tired or distracted, his answers were all very brief and kind of impersonal. After about a half-hour, he told Liam to get some sleep and he would talk to him the next day.

Harry came to sit next to Louis, stealing Louis’ mug to take a sip of his, now cool, tea and smiling up at him, blue icing around his mouth. “Bath time?” Louis asked, wiping away the icing with his thumb and licking it off. “Yum. Can’t wait to have my cake tomorrow.”

After giving Harry a bath and reading him a story, the young boy fell asleep without much fuss. He’d been staying up later than normal while they were at his mum’s, and Louis was relieved he didn’t fight him on going to bed. Louis stayed up with his mum and Dan for a bit, talking about the following day’s plans, which were just a quiet day at home and dinner out with his family. 

Louis talked about his job for a bit, telling them all about Nicole in the office and what a big help she’s been. His mum laughed at the tales of his students, asking questions until Louis’ throat was beginning to feel dry. She refilled his cup and sat back down across from him, exchanging a look with Dan before laying a hand over one of Louis’.

“Tell us more about this Pay-o?” she asked, her lips quirked up in a grin to rival Louis’ mischievous smirk.

Louis’ could feel his cheeks burning red as he tried to hide his face in his mug. “Liam Payne. You met him at the play,” he answered before looking up at his mum, suspecting she knew Liam was the reason why he’d been asking so many questions about dating as a single parent. “He’s…” He struggled to find the right word to described him before finally deciding on, “He’s special. Harry loves him.”

“And you?” Dan asked.

“I…” Louis trailed off. “He’s my best mate in London, possibly ever.” 

“Harry says he’s your boyfriend,” Jay said, squeezing the hand she still hadn’t released.

“Well, our first date was Halloween. It’s pretty new, but, yeah, he’s my boyfriend.” Louis was beginning to feel a bit guilty for not being able to properly explain how he felt about Liam.

“Then I would say that ‘special’ covers it quite nicely,” Dan said, yawning. “I’m heading to bed now. Jay?”

She nodded and followed her husband up the stairs after pressing a kiss to the top of Louis’ head. “It’s getting late, love. You should get some sleep as well,” her voice carried down the stairs to him. 

Louis’ glanced down at his phone, noting it was nearly midnight. Almost his twenty-third birthday. Once Jay was gone, he sent a text to Liam to tell him he was finally going to bed himself and that he missed him. He included a sad face emoji before pocketing his phone and moving about the house, shutting off lights and checking the door locks.  

He smiled when, at exactly midnight, his phone buzzed with a text from Liam. “HAPPYYYYYYYYYYYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!” and a bunch of celebration emojis. He responded with a thank you as he placed his foot on the bottom step. He was three steps up when another text came through. “Open the door.”

Louis stared at his phone, confused, for a moment before he heard a quiet tapping on the front door and another text saying, “It’s freeeeeeeeeeeeeezing,” came across.

He dropped his phone and raced towards the door, yanking it open and screaming when he was hit in the face and chest with three streams of silly string. “Happy birthday!” was shouted at him, and he reached blindly for the first person he could, laughing and pulling them into the house. Once the string ran out, and he had cleared his face, Louis was on the verge of crying as he took in his three best friends standing in the foyer of his parent’s house grinning at him.

“Supwise!” Harry shouted, still sounding exhausted, running down the stairs and grabbing Louis around the waist. Louis glanced over and saw his mum and Dan standing on the stairs, smiling. 

“Did you all know?” he asked, his jaw hanging open. Liam nodded before pulling Louis into his arms and kissing him soundly, just this side of inappropriately, earning gagging sounds from Niall. Louis didn’t care; he had his Liam.

“Excellent job keeping a secret, Sprout!” Zayn shouted, scooping Harry up and covering his face with kisses while Harry tried to push him away.

“No, Unca Zed! Want Pay-o!” Harry shouted, finally getting Zayn to put him down. He grabbed Liam’s coat for leverage and climbed up his back, causing Liam to pull away from Louis and choke a bit. “I keep secwet, Pay-o!” he said, snuggling into Liam’s neck and holding on like a spider monkey.

“So proud of you, Hareball,” Liam said, wrapping an arm behind himself to hold Harry steady. 

“Are you all going to spend the entire night standing in the foyer, or are you going to let your guests in?” Jay asked, coming down the stairs to hug all of the boys and help them with their coats. 

Louis was still in shock, standing still and watching everyone, blinking back tears of happiness. “You sad?” Harry asked, climbing down off Liam and looking up at his father. “Gang all here!” Harry threw his arms out to indicate the entire room.  

Louis crouched down and hugged his son. “I’m very happy, Hazza. So happy that it’s spilling out my eyes.” Harry nodded, his face serious, before leaning to kiss Louis’ cheek. 

“Cake!” Harry yelled when he pulled away, starting to head towards the kitchen, but Louis grabbed him around the middle. 

“Oh no. Time for little Hazzas to go to bed,” Louis said. “The boys will still be here when you wake up.” He looked at the others and they nodded; he had no idea how long they were planning to stay, but figured it couldn’t be more than the day because of Christmas and all.

“Pay-o tuck me in?” Liam nodded and scooped Harry up.

“Show me where?” Harry pointed up the stairs and Louis watched them go before turning back to Niall and Zayn.

“Aw, go on, then,” Niall said, shoving him towards the stairs. “Zayn and I are going to kip for a bit. We’ve been up for hours.”

Louis hugged them both and whispered, “Thank you,” before bounding up the stairs after Liam and Harry, hoping that his mum and Dan would sort the other boys out. He stopped in the door of his old room, watching Liam sitting against the headboard with Harry in his lap, reading together. Harry was always a bit ahead of most kids his age in identifying words, but his reading had improved even more so since moving to London, thanks mostly to the man in front of him. Liam always had, or made, time to listen to Harry tell a story and help him with the difficult words.

Louis stayed watching until the story was over, smiling at the picture of his two favourite boys. Liam closed the book, looking up to smile at him. “Missed you,” Louis blurted out, and Liam’s smile grew until it crinkled his eyes shut.

Harry snuggled into Liam, but made grabby hands at Louis. With a smile, Louis climbed onto the bed with the other two. Harry pressed a kiss to Louis’ cheek and then to Liam’s before looking at them expectantly. They laughed while they kissed each other. Harry nodded his head with a grin before snuggling down between them. “Sleep, now,” he demanded.

“Guess that answers the question of where I can sleep for a bit,” Liam said, smiling. “As long as-”

“It’s alright, even though I don’t want to sleep because I don’t know how long you’ll be here,” Louis interrupted, sliding to lay down on the bed.

Liam mirrored him so they were looking at each other over Harry, whose breathing had already evened out. “Just here for the day to celebrate your birthday,” Liam told him, his eyes sad. “We’re going to head out about ten o’clock tonight. Zayn’s train leaves around eleven.”

“Then, I really don’t want to sleep,” Louis told him and giggled when Liam started to sing  _ Don’t Want to Miss a Thing _ quietly. “Exactly.” He yawned loudly, causing Liam to chuckle..

“Sleep for a bit. I’ve been up for almost twenty-four hours. I’m going to need at least a few hours to be worth anything,” Liam said, pulling his phone out and setting an alarm for seven and showing it to Louis, who nodded, reaching for his hand.

They fell asleep hands clasped over Harry, but when they woke to Liam’s alarm, they were curled together in the bed and Harry was gone. Louis could hear him giggling downstairs and Niall’s laughter was echoing. His sisters were chatting loudly and his mother was trying to shush them all. Louis turned into Liam and they snogged lazily until the door to Louis’ room opened with a creak. 

“Happy birthday, Daddo!!!!” Harry jumped on the bed, landing on Liam, who groaned. He then handed Louis a piece of paper with a bow on it.

“What’s this, Hazza?” Louis asked, laughing at Liam who still had his eyes closed and was breathing irregularly.  

“I drawed it!” He pointed to the picture and explained that it was of all of them. Louis looked over the numerous stick figures as Harry explained the drawing. He smiled at Liam who was the one with a fireman’s hat on. There was one with black hair, with one yellow line, sticking straight up and then another with a halo of yellow hair. Finally there was the small one with curly brown hair and the one with short brown hair and a golden crown. “You king!” Harry told him.

“King Louis? We’ll never hear the end of that,” Niall said from the doorway where he’d appeared carrying a tray with five mugs and a plate of cinnamon rolls. 

“Like serving him breakfast in bed isn’t just as bad,” Zayn said, moving past Niall while grabbing one of the mugs and climbing onto the bed, sitting cross-legged at the end.

Harry moved over into Zayn’s lap and sniffed at his mug, making a face. Niall chuckled and set the tray carefully in the center of the bed before climbing on. He grabbed a mug with a Santa Claus face and handed it to Harry. “Here’s yours, Little Man.” Harry sniffed it and took a big drink. “Hot chocolate and peppermint,” Niall said out of the corner of his mouth to Louis, who actually hadn’t been concerned in the slightest.

Niall handed out the rest of the mugs and the group settled back, talking and nibbling on the cinnamon rolls. Louis leaned on Liam, thinking that his was already his favourite birthday ever. He looked at the picture Harry had drawn him and ached to get back to London to place it in the frame over the picture he’d drawn for him the year before. Eventually, he knew the birthday pictures would stop and when that happened, he wanted to scan them and bind them into a book so he could keep them forever; for now, he kept them stacked together in the frame.

After the mugs were empty and the cinnamon rolls were gone, Jay came into the room and cleared the tray away. She handed Louis a card, and he opened it, tearing up at the sweet sentiment and barely glancing at the check before thanking his mum for everything. Niall handed him a gift.

“We said no presents,” Louis argued.

“We said no Christmas presents,” Liam countered. “This is a birthday present, it’s allowed.” He took the gift from Niall and forced it into Louis’ lap.

Louis tipped the present over in his hands, admiring the perfect wrapping. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Niall. “Sunny wrapped it,” he said with a grin. Louis carefully opened it while Harry bounced on the bed impatiently, the boy got more excited about other people opening gifts than his own sometimes.  

He opened the box inside the wrapping and squealed when he pulled out the newest version of FIFA. He flipped the case over and looked over the back of it. “Thanks, mate, this is awesome! Can’t wait to get back and start playing!”

Zayn handed over a flat present that was wrapped in newsprint and he shrugged when Louis commented on it. “It’s what’s on the inside that counts, innit?” he asked and Louis nodded, hearing the same words that Louis kept reminding Zayn of whenever the other boy started feeling down about himself.

The wrapping fell away to reveal a frame, and Louis gasped as he turned it over. Inside the frame was a gorgeous ink portrait of Harry. His son was smiling and holding Dog to his chest. Zayn had captured the mischievous glint in his eyes perfectly. “This is amazing, Zayn. Thank you.” Louis’ voice was breathy and he could feel the tears in his eyes. They all knew Zayn was an artist, but none of them had really seen his work before, he was always so secretive about it. “How did you get Hazza to sit still?”

Zayn snorted. “I didn’t. I snapped a bunch of pictures of him one of the nights he stayed over and used it for reference. It’s no big deal.”

Louis handed the frame to Liam, who looked at it with as much adoration as Louis had. Once Louis knew the frame was safe in Liam’s hands, he launched himself at Zayn, tackling him to the bed. “It is a big deal. A very big deal! Thank you so much!”

“Brilliant gift,” Liam told him, his voice quiet, as Harry took the frame and looked at it.

“That me and Dog,” he said. “You drawed us?” Zayn nodded. “So good, Unca Zed.” He hugged the frame to his chest before climbing carefully off the bed and heading towards the door. “I show Nana.”

Zayn’s face was flushed, probably as much from embarrassment as being crushed beneath Louis. “Ge’off!” he muttered, shoving at Louis and laughing. Niall and Liam jumped into the melee, and Louis was sure their shrieks and laughter could be heard through the house, if not the entire neighborhood.

Someone clearing their throat brought an end to the ruckus, and four sets of eyes looked up to see a grinning Jay in the doorway, holding the frame in her hands. “I feel like the house is full of teenage boys again,” she said, her smile fond. “Are you ready for lunch?”

Niall scrambled off the bed and out the door with Zayn trailing behind. Liam and Louis stayed back while Jay handed the frame back to Louis. “You have very talented friends, love.” Louis nodded before setting the frame up on the nightstand. “Don’t let your lunch get cold.” She disappeared out the door, leaving Liam and Louis alone.

Liam leaned in for a kiss, pulling Louis into his lap and arms wrapping tightly around his waist.  The kiss heated up, and Louis whimpered as he forced himself to pull out of the kiss. “We’re in my mum’s house,” he gasped out, and Liam smiled shyly.

“Sorry, couldn’t resist.” He gently helped Louis to stand, smiling a bit when they both had to adjust themselves. “Should get down there before lunch gets cold.”

Louis nodded heading out the door. He was a few steps downstairs when he realized Liam wasn’t behind him. Confused, he returned to his room in time to see Liam trying, and failing, to close his duffel around something in brightly coloured wrapping. “What’s that?” he asked, reaching around Liam, stopping when the younger boy blocked his way.

“It’s nothing,” Liam said as he tried to push the bag out of sight with his foot. “Let’s go see what your mum’s made us for-” Louis cut him off with a kiss before pushing him down on the bed and reaching for the bag. “Louis!” Liam shouted, his voice pained and Louis looked at him. “Just don’t. I’d rather you think I’m a thoughtless boyfriend that didn’t get you anything than open that gift and just think I’m an idiot.”

Louis moved to kneel in front of Liam on the floor, placing his hands on Liam’s thighs and fought against the instincts the position was bringing out. “I’m sure whatever it is, I’ll love it.” Liam shook his head in the negative and refused to meet his eyes. 

“I’m crap at gifts. Always have been. Roo and Nic buy gifts for my parents from me. My parents buy my sisters’ gifts. My mum has always picked out gifts for my friends. I just never come up with good ideas,” Liam buried his face in his hands.

“I know that’s not true,” Louis said, reaching up to take both of Liam’s hands in his. “You bought Frog for Harry because he was afraid of the dark. You bring me flowers with so much thought and consideration behind them, that there is no way I would ever call you crap at picking gifts.” 

Liam’s lips barely moved as he said, “My mum is the one that taught me about flowers. She gave me a book and everything.” Louis had wondered how Liam was so knowledgeable about the flower meanings, and he thought it was adorable that it was because of his mum.

“That’s really sweet. Will you show me the book sometime?” Liam nodded. “Can I have my present now?” Liam shook his head again and Louis sighed. “Alright. If it’s upsetting you this much, then you don’t have to give it to me, yeah?”

“Thanks, Lou,” Liam said, getting to his feet and taking Louis’ hand.

Louis squeezed his hand, his heart hurt knowing that Liam was still unhappy, but he didn’t want to draw attention to it when they joined the others. He poked Liam in the side and made a crazy face at him when Liam glanced over, a laugh choking out of him. Liam’s eyes finally started to glow with a bit of happiness, and Louis counted it as a win.

That was the moment that Louis William Tomlinson realized that he would do anything to make Liam James Payne smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLYr)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLYr))


	17. Chapter 17 - December 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments, lovelies!
> 
> Well, I wasn't sure you would be getting an update today. See, I set these things up the night before so that as soon as I awake on Mondays and Wednesdays (usually around 3 a.m. EST), I can hit "Post Chapter" and Voila! However, Tuesday was a bad day for me. I suffer from some pretty bad anxiety and had a lot of things happen that kept piling up until I wasn't sure I could control a full-blown attack.
> 
> Thankfully, I was able to fight it off and get home and sleep for a bit and distract myself. Then I was able to get this all set up for you lovely readers. I'm not sure about this chapter. There are bits I really like, but, overall, I'm pretty unsure. Let me know what you think.
> 
> See you soon!!!!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

The day passed far too quickly. The boys spent the afternoon lazing around on the couch and watching movies, much like any other day in London. Louis was just so glad to have them with him for his birthday, he didn’t think there was anything they could do that he would have enjoyed more. Plus, Harry was just so excited to have everyone there; he kept snapping pictures and begging Zayn to take selfies and send them to Safaa. At one point, Louis was dragged into Skype chats with each of the other boys’ families to be wished happy birthday.

Dinner was at a fancy restaurant that Louis’ family frequented for celebrations and Louis was thrilled to include his new London family. Everyone enjoyed the food and drink, filling the restaurant with laughter that seemed to be contagious among the other patrons. Louis had many strangers wish him a happy birthday as he left, bringing a huge smile to his face every time.

By the time they got back to his mum’s house, Louis was feeling pleasantly tipsy and kept pouting at his sober friends who kept reminding him they would have to be driving later. They sang happy birthday and ate the cake Harry had helped make, complimenting him on the excellent blue frosting. When the cake was gone, mostly thanks to Niall and Harry, they moved back into the living room. 

Louis glanced at the clock, seeing that it was almost nine. He whined and wrapped an arm around Liam, making grabby hands with the other at Zayn and Niall. They fell onto the sofa in a pile, Harry crawling on top of Niall, laying his head on Zayn’s shoulder.

“I don’t want you to go,” Louis pouted, and Liam kissed him until he smiled a bit.

Harry looked confused. “You go?” he asked Niall, who nodded.

“Yeah, Little Man. We’re going to Liam’s parents’ house tonight, dropping Zayn at the train on the way. We just came to spend your dad’s birthday with you guys.”

Harry slid off of the pile of limbs without a word, but Louis could hear him sniffle as he left the room. They listened to his feet slowly climbing the stairs, and Louis buried his face in Liam’s chest, feeling sad for his son and for himself. They stayed in a silent pile, hands grasping until they heard pounding footsteps, and Harry ran into the room, a present in his hand.

“Daddo! You miss a gift!”

“Hareball, no,” Liam said, reaching for the gift that Louis recognized as the one Liam had been trying to hide earlier.

“Harold, did you go in Liam’s bag?” Louis asked, grasping his son’s arm gently.

“Not Harold,” Harry responded, grabbing the present closer to his chest when Liam tried to take it away. “I no go-” Harry stopped speaking and looked at his feet. “I put Dog in his bag. So he be safe! Gift there. Say ‘Happy Birfday’!” He pointed to the words on the paper and Louis was reminded again just how smart his young son was.

“It does say that, but…” Louis trailed off, not wanting to call Liam out in front of everyone for not wanting to give him the gift. “It’s not for me.”

“It you birfday.”

“I know, but it’s also…” Louis was really messing this up.

“Forget it, Louis. I was only kidding earlier,” Liam said, his voice sounding jovial, but Louis could see the pain of embarrassment behind his gaze. “It’s really for you. Might as well open it now.”

Louis put a hand over Liam’s and looked at him. “Seriously, I don’t have to-”

“Open!” Harry squealed, dropping the present in Louis’ lap. “Open! Open! Open!” he chanted, Niall and Zayn joining in, although Zayn seemed to be watching them with a wary eye.

Giving Liam one last look, heart aching when he looked away with a small nod of the head, Louis began to slowly peel back the paper. The gift was rectangular, but with a square bump on top of it, so it could be just about anything. As he pulled away the wrapping, he smiled at the book and CD in front of him. “I love  _ Wicked _ and my copy of the CD’s worn out _ , _ ” he said, smiling at Liam. “Thank you. This is really nice.” He leaned over and kissed Liam who looked a little more at ease, but was still fidgeting. “What?”

“Open the book,” he whispered and Louis set the CD aside to open the book. An envelope fell out into his lap and he picked it up. Lifting the flap, he nearly screamed when he saw tickets to see  _ Wicked _ at the Apollo Victoria. “Really?” Louis squealed and threw his arms around Liam. “How could you be worried about this? This is an awesome present!”

“We go see play?” Harry asked, and Louis pulled away from Liam, not sure what to say.

“Payno and your dad are going to see the play, Little Man,” Niall told him. “You’re going to come spend the night with me and Sunny. We’re going to Winter Festival.”

Harry’s eyes widened. “Really?” Niall nodded and Harry clapped his hands and started asking about the festival and when they were going to go.

“You really thought I wouldn’t like this?” Louis asked and Liam shrugged. 

“There’s one more part. If you don’t want to do it, we can just go to the theatre and come home or join them at the Winter Festival or-” Louis cut Liam’s rambling off with a kiss.

“What’s the last part?” 

“Dinner and an overnight at Malmaison?” Liam said, his voice rising at the end in question. Louis’ jaw slackened as he struggled for words. He barely noticed when Niall and Zayn left the room, taking Harry with them. “I knew it was a stu-” Louis cut Liam off with his lips once again.

“Thank you,” he said when the kiss finally broke, not moving very far away, still breathing into each other’s mouth. “Don’t ever tell me you’re crap at gifts again. Ever.” 

“Promise,” Liam giggled as he leaned in to kiss him again, hands sliding under Louis’ shirt, warming the skin of his sides. “It’s not too soon? A getaway?”

Louis smiled as he checked the dates on the tickets, just over two weeks away. “Not soon enough,” he responded, their mouths pressing together again, Liam sighing when their tongues touched.

They fell back on the couch, Louis lying atop Liam, and continued to snog until they were interrupted by Harry running in the room and jumping on top of them. “Oof,” Liam gasped.

“No go,” Harry said, grabbing Liam’s sleeves, trapping Louis between them. “You stay.”

Liam’s head fell back on the couch and Louis could see tears in his eyes. “I want to go see my mum and dad, Hareball.”

“No. Nana and Papa Payne come here!” Harry said, kicking his feet and connecting with Louis’ calves.

“Harold,” Louis snapped and pushed himself up, causing Harry to slip off of him, but Liam caught Harry before he could fall to the floor.

“Not Harold,” Harry said, starting to cry. 

“You cannot behave like this,” Louis continued, moving Harry to his feet and kneeling in front of him. 

“No go!” Harry struggled to get away from Louis, looking at Liam, who was still laying on the sofa, an arm thrown over his eyes. “Pay-o, no go!”

Louis’ heart softened because a part of him was feeling the same way that Harry was; he wanted to beg Liam to stay with him, but he knew that it wasn’t fair to Liam to ask him to not see his family. He pulled Harry into a hug, holding tighter as the boy struggled. “I know, Hazza. I know. I don’t want Liam to go either,” he whispered, hoping Liam wouldn’t hear. He leaned back, still holding Harry by the arms to keep him from diving at Liam. “How would you feel if you stayed at Zayn’s one night and the next day he asked you not to go home and see me?”

“Unca Zed, no!” Harry said, looking towards the doorway, Louis realizing they had an audience.

“Zayn wouldn’t do that, Hazza, but you’re doing it to Liam. You’re making him sad. You made him cry,” Louis explained. Harry looked at Liam who still hadn’t moved on the sofa.

“No cry, Pay-o. I sorry!” Harry said, scrambling and Louis let go so Harry could climb on Liam and pull Liam’s arm away from his face. He pressed kisses all over Liam’s cheeks. “You go see. You come back.”

Liam chuckled wetly and pulled Harry into a hug. “Hareball, I’ll see you in London, not here.”

“You come back here,” Harry argued.

“No. I’m going to Wolverhampton to spend Christmas with my mum and dad and sisters. Then I have to go back to London to work for New Year’s. I can’t come back here,” Liam explained.

“You no come back? You go bye-bye and no come back?!” Harry sounded scared. Liam nodded. Harry shook his head and smacked Liam in the chest with both of his fists. “No! You come back!”

Liam struggled to stand up with a thrashing Harry attached to him. “Hareball,” he choked out. “I can’t. I want to, but I can’t.”

Zayn and Niall came further into the room, eyes wide. “We’ve got to go, mate. I can’t miss my train,” Zayn said as Niall and Louis tried to pull Harry away, but Liam was holding onto him tightly, Harry’s tiny fists raining down on his shoulders.

“Hareball, please,” Liam begged. He set Harry on the ground, and Louis reached for him, but Harry shoved Liam, catching him off guard enough to send him back onto the couch.

“Hate you,” Harry hissed at him and turned to run out of the room, but Louis recovered from the shock of those words in time to catch him by the arm.

“Harold, that was not nice,” he scolded, really not concerned if he hurt Harry’s feelings. Those two words broke his heart, and they weren’t even directed at him, so he couldn’t imagine what they did to Liam.

“Hate you, too,” Harry hissed, forgoing his usual argument against the name. Louis was so shocked that he let go. Harry bolted from the room, a clamour of him racing up the stairs following shortly.

The four men stood in shock for a moment before Zayn started to shuffle his feet. “And on that note…” he said, trying to lighten the mood, but failing.

Louis glanced at Liam who looked as if Harry had physically struck him, tears spilling from his eyes. He wouldn’t even look at Louis as he stood up and started to head towards the stairs. “I have to...get my bag,” Liam said, stopping when Niall handed it to him. “Th...thanks.”

“Li,” Louis started, reaching for him. “Please. You know he didn’t mean it. He’s a kid. They say things.” 

Liam sighed and turned, pulling Louis into his arms, resting his chin on the shorter man’s head. “My head knows that, but my heart feels like it’s been hit by a truck.” He moved to bury his face in Louis’ hair. “Please tell him I love him, yeah?” Louis nodded. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

“You better,” Louis said, moving his hands to Liam’s face and bringing their lips together for a gentle kiss. “Gonna miss you.”

“Eleven days,” Liam said, his voice strained.

“We’ll talk every day. Harry will be over it soon. He’ll get his presents from Santa and all will be forgotten,” Louis reassured, kissing him again.

“Mates,” Zayn said. “We really gotta go.”

Liam nodded and pulled away from Louis, taking his hand, and they all walked to the door in silence. Hugs were exchanged between them. All too soon, Louis was standing on the porch, arms wrapped around his waist as the taillights disappeared down the street. “You’re going to catch your death if you don’t come inside,” his mum spoke up behind him, and Louis shook himself before turning and following her to the kitchen.

He sat with her as she made tea for them both. Once he had a mug clasped in both hands, breathing in the steam from the mug, she cleared her throat. “So, why is Harry sleeping with the twins?”

“He hates me. And Liam,” Louis muttered, blinking back tears again. 

“He doesn’t hate you.”

“He said he does, and he ran from the room. You should’ve seen Liam’s face; it was like his heart had shattered.” He set the mug down and rubbed at his own eyes.

“So, pretty much like you’re looking right now,” his mum said softly, reaching over to take one of his hands. “How many times have you screamed that you hated me?” Louis’ face flushed and he shrugged. “And how many times did you mean it?” 

“None.” He took a deep breath, beginning to feel a bit better. “He’s just never said it before. He’s never been anything but loving. I’ve never seen him so hurt or so...so...angry. I don’t think I handled it well and now Liam is hurt, and I don’t know how to fix it.” He tugged on the ends of his hair. “I don’t know how to fix anything.”

She shook her head, a fond smile on her face. “This isn’t something that needs to be fixed. It’s just something that needs to be gone through. It’s hard dating when you have a child, but you picked a good one with Liam; he loves Harry no matter what his mood. Things will be better in the morning.”

Louis hoped that she was right. They cleaned up the kitchen together quietly, and then made their way upstairs. Louis peeked into the twins’ room and saw the both of them and Harry curled up together in one bed. He was sure they fell asleep with Phoebe and Daisy comforting an upset Harry; he could still see tear tracks on the boy’s face. Tiptoing in, he pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering, “Liam and I love you so so much, Hazza,” before exiting.

He met his mum at the pull down for the attic and Louis climbed up ahead of her. He was always amazed at how full the attic got at Christmas, but shouldn’t have been considering how many children in this house were waiting for Santa. Settling down next to Harry’s stack, he took in just how much was left to be done, even after having already spent a couple of night wrapping presents. While his mum and Dan started carrying the other kids’ gifts downstairs, he started to wrap.

He was done with the bag he’d left and noticed another sizeable bag leaning against the wall near where he was sitting. Reaching in, he pulled out several items that he didn’t recognize, but had a strong suspicion he knew who Santa’s little helpers were. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out and smiled at Liam’s face on the screen. “Hi.”

“Does he still hate me?” Liam asked, his voice quiet, and Louis could picture him chewing his lip.

“I’m sure he doesn't hate you, or me, but he went straight to bed. I haven’t spoken to him,” Louis responded, moving a large sketchpad to the pile and sticking a bow to the front, thinking it would take up too much wrapping paper.

“Do you hate me?”

Louis dropped the pack of coloured pencils he’d been taking out of the bag. “What? No!” He shook his head. “Why would you-”

“I made Harry cry and you looked so sad, and I left, and-”

“Liam, are you driving?” Louis asked suddenly, realizing they would not have reached Wolverhampton yet.

“No. Niall is. He insisted because I was too upset to be behind the wheel. Maybe we shouldn’t have come at all,” he whispered, and Louis’ heart clenched.

“This was the best birthday I’ve had in a long time, probably ever; I am so glad you came. Harry is young. He’ll forget all about it after he sees his pile of presents from Santa tomorrow.” He chuckled as he pulled out a plush toy. “Speaking of which. What is this thing?”

Liam laughed softly. “Is it a stuffed animal?”

“It’s a stuffed something.”

“It’s a frog,” Liam said. “Dressed up as a dog. I thought he’d be a good friend to Dog and Frog.”

“We said no presents and not one of you listened. I know these art supplies are from Zayn and the apron and chef’s hat and kid-sized cooking supplies are from Niall,” Louis huffed out.

“They’re not from us. They’re from Santa,” Liam teased and then grew quiet. “There might even be something in the bottom of the bag for you from Santa.”

“Liam James,” Louis barked and then softened. “Yeah, well, there might be a present from Santa for you in your duffel.”

“Louis William,” Liam said softly and laughed. “Can you hear Niall?” Louis listened and heard Niall making gagging noises. “I think that’s my cue to get off the phone. Happy birthday, Lou, and Happy Christmas, too.”

“Happy Christmas, Liam. I’ll send you snaps tomorrow of Harry with his gifts.”

“Can’t wait to see them. Love you.” 

“Love you, too,” Louis responded and rang off, freezing when he realized what had just happened.  He’d said it without thinking, and he was pretty sure Liam had as well. It wasn’t unusual for him to say it to the others, but it was literally the first time they’d said it to each other.

He was still sitting in stunned silence when Dan came back up the steps. “Just making sure you hadn’t fallen asleep up here,” he said when he saw Louis surrounded by Harry’s gifts. “Need a hand?”

Louis nodded and they worked together in silence to finish wrapping the gifts before taking them downstairs and setting them near the tree. Jay set Harry’s stocking on top of the pile and Louis slid a few banana flavoured candy canes inside of it. He stood back with his parents and admired the pile in front of them, knowing in just a few hours the room would be destroyed. “We should get some sleep.”

Louis headed up the stairs, stopping outside the twins’ room, debating bringing Harry to his, but deciding it was more important that he sleep than be in the same room as Louis. Once Louis settled into his bed, his mind went back over Liam’s words, how easily “I love you” had slipped out of both of their mouths. He stared up at the ceiling, stretching his arms out, hating just how empty the bed felt without his son or Liam to cuddle up with him. He buried his face in the pillow and let a few tears leak out and soak the linen.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized he really hated sleeping alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way Lilo says “love you” to each other for the first time is pretty much exactly how it happened with my husband and I. Back in the good old days, there was a terrible snowstorm and he picked me up to drive me to work (we both worked at the same store, but he was off that day). He hung out for a few minutes talking to his sister (who was my manager at the time) and then called into the office to say he’d be back at the end of his shift. I told him okay and I’d see him then. He followed up with, “Love you” and I responded, “Love you,too” and hung up the phone. As soon as I heard the click I went, “WTF?!”


	18. Chapter 18 - December 2014

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!!!
> 
> Today is a very special update because today is My Beautiful Beta's Birthday Moments!!!!!
> 
> Yes, that's right, today is my beautiful, wonderful, amazing, talented, fantastic, *searches thesaurus and gives up on finding perfect enough words* beta's birthday. [Jess](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyestelllies) is more than just an amazing beta, she is an extremely talented writer and, most important of all, one of my very, very best friends. So, to celebrate her birthday, I made her do extra work this week! Lol. Remember, I said _she_ was amazing, I never said anything about me - me, I'm a bitch. Lol.
> 
> So, happy birthday, sweetie! I know you like this chapter and the moment in it, so I'm glad it fell on your birthday. I hope your day is filled with everything and everyone that you love.
> 
> Now, on to the chapter. 
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis awoke to Harry shaking his arm. “Daddo, Santa came,” he squealed quietly and held a finger to his lips when Louis opened his mouth to speak. Louis nodded and followed Harry out of the room and downstairs.  

Every year, Harry always seemed to manage to wake up first, and he and Louis would sneak into the kitchen to make tea, coffee and hot chocolate for everyone. He watched as Harry worked quietly, taking one mug at a time out of the lower cabinet and setting it on the table, making sure they didn’t make too much noise.

“Love you, Hazza,” Louis said, and Harry looked up at him with a frown before turning back to his task. “Still upset?” Harry nodded, but stepped over to Louis and pressed a kiss to his arm. Louis would take the small token of affection.

Once the mugs were filled, Harry looked up at Louis with wide eyes, and Louis nodded his head with a smile. Harry squealed and went racing up the stairs, shouting as loudly as he could, “Santa here! Pwesents! Happy Cwistmas!” Louis laughed as he remained in the kitchen, ready for the stream of people down the stairs. He handed out mugs to each person that came through the kitchen. Jay grabbing sippy cups of milk for the twins. When there were only two left on the table, he hastily added some peppermint to Harry’s before grabbing both and heading into the sitting room. 

Harry was sitting next to his stack of presents, eyes wide and hands folded restlessly in his lap.  Louis sat next to him and gave him his mug. The rules for opening presents was that the youngest started and then the next oldest and so forth until everyone was done. This was only the second year that Harry wasn’t the youngest, so he was still a bit impatient.  

Once Dorie and Ernie were done, Harry pounced on his pile of presents, and Louis started taking pics and videos, sending them off to the boys. He’d made sure to place the plush toy from Liam at the bottom of the pile so that it would be the last gift that Harry opened. When Harry finally got around to it, Louis got a really nice video of Harry opening up the plush toy and squealing over it before sitting and studying it, his brows drawn together in concentration.

“It frog. It dog,” he said to Jay, showing her the toy. He kept pulling back the hood on the toy to reveal the frog. “Frog.” Then he would bring it back up so the dog ears flopped around. “Dog. Frog. Dog.” Suddenly, his face lit up with a smile and he looked at Louis. “FroggieDoggie!” he shouted, holding the toy above his head like Rafiki did to Simba in  _ The Lion King _ .

He sent that video directly to Liam, and he smiled when he got back a selfie of a widely smiling, still in bed, Liam. His response was the heart eyes emoji. He missed the rest of his siblings opening their gifts because he was texting with Liam, teasing him about being lazy in bed.  _ “I’ve been up for hours!” _ he texted, smiling when Liam responded with the unamused emoji.

“Louis, your turn,” he heard his sister, Lottie, say, and he glanced around at the piles of wrapping paper surrounding him. He couldn’t believe he’d missed everything. He felt bad about it, but everyone was just grinning at him and pointing to a large package behind the tree.  

“That’s not my present,” he said. He held up the small package he’d found from Liam and everyone chuckled. “Liam left this for me.”

“Santa left that,” Lottie said, pointing again.

Louis shot off a text to Liam.  _ “You didn’t leave more than one Santa gift for me, did you?” _

_ “Maaayyyybeeee,” _ Liam responded, and Louis felt himself getting upset. They’d agreed no gifts and a small gift was one thing, but, from the size of the gift behind the tree, he was feeling a bit put out. He sent back the unamused emoji and set his phone to the side. He glanced down when it buzzed again.  _ “JK. Just 1. Promise.” _ He bobbled the gift from Liam in his hand and looked over at the big one. His phone buzzed.  _ “Did u open it?” _

Harry was still staring at the big gift. “You want to open that for me, Hazza?” His son turned to him with wide eyes and nodded before moving over to it and tearing at the paper.  

While Harry was occupied, he carefully opened the gift from Liam.  He started to chuckle when the paper revealed a small keychain of the London Eye. He opened his phone to send a text to Liam, but his phone buzzed before he could.  He opened the text to see a picture of Liam holding the same keychain and the message,  _ “Great miiiiiiiiiiiiiiids!” _

Harry was squealing, and Louis looked up to see him hugging the box that was now free of paper. “Big telly! Daddo, look!” Louis stood and moved over next to him and saw that it was indeed a big screen television and he could only imagine how good his new FIFA game would look on it as compared to the tiny set he currently had. He ran his hand over the box and glanced at his mum and Dan, who were smiling gently and winked.  

“It is big. Can’t wait to get that back to London, yeah?” He noticed the indications of a Smart TV and smiled. “Watch Netflix on it instead of my laptop? Play FIFA with the lads?” Louis asked, wrapping an arm around Harry’s shoulders.

“No,” Harry said, pulling away and going back over to his presents. He picked up FroggieDoggie and cuddled him before moving to sit on the couch next to Jay, leaning into her. “Hate Pay-o,” he whispered, and Jay looked at Louis over Harry’s head, her eyes sad. Louis knew she was whispering to his son, but couldn’t hear anything over his heart breaking.

The rest of the day passed quickly with Louis playing with his younger siblings and talking to his mum. He texted off and on with Liam, not wanting to keep him from his family too much, but agreed to a Skype session just before dinner. Liam’s entire family and Niall were in front of the computer and talking all at once, so Louis called his family in and everyone arrived, except Harry, who took FroggieDoggie and hid in the corner of the room behind the Christmas tree.

“Where’s Harry?” Karen asked and Louis told her. She looked sad and rubbed a hand over Liam’s back as his face fell a bit. “Can he hear us?”

“Hazza, can you hear Nana Payne?” Louis called and saw the boy’s head move in the affirmative. “Yeah.”

“Happy Christmas, Little Love!” she shouted. “We miss you!”

Harry moved from the corner and near the computer. “Miss you, Nana Payne. Papa Payne. Nic. Roo. Unca Ni-All. Happy Cwistmas.” He blew a kiss and then went back to the corner. 

Louis’ eyes filled with tears and Liam jumped up and disappeared from view. Karen looked sad and touched a hand to the screen. “Miss you, too, Louis. Take care, yeah?”

“Yeah. Happy Christmas,” he said and signed off. He picked his phone up and debated texting Liam, but didn’t know what he could say that would make things better.

Dinner was loud with everyone talking at once, but Louis’ heart wasn’t as into it as it usually was. He kept a smile on his face and joked around with his sisters, but it all felt a bit false to him. He kept trying to engage Harry, but the boy would answer quickly and then turn to talk to someone else. After dinner, he went over to Harry and took his hand, squeezing when the boy tried to get away.  

“Upstairs, now,” Louis said and practically dragged the boy up to their old room. Harry threw himself on the bed when they got inside, and Louis closed the door behind them. “Sit up.”

“No,” Harry said into the pillow, his voice muffled. Louis reached over and forced the boy to sit up. He knelt on the floor in front of him and took him by the chin gently, forcing him to look at him. “Go ‘way!” 

“No. You need to stop acting like this. I know you’re sad that Liam left-”

“Hate him!” Harry screamed and tried to push Louis’ hand off his chin. 

“No. You don’t hate him. You are sad and upset, but you don’t hate him. He thinks you do though and it’s breaking his heart. You keep making him cry.” Harry’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything. “It’s Christmas and your bad mood is ruining it for Liam. And for me.”

Harry started to cry. “I sorry, Daddo,” he said and threw his arms around Louis’ shoulders, sobbing into them. “Miss Pay-o. He mean. Miss him.”

“He isn’t mean, Hazza,” Louis tried to explain. “He wanted to see his family. And they wanted to see him.”

“He no come back.”

“He wanted to stay with his family until he had to go back to London for work. We were lucky he even came to see us for my birthday, he wasn’t supposed to.”

“I keep secwet,” Harry said, pulling back and smiling through his tears. “Pay-o tell me: ‘See you on Daddo birfday. You no tell.’ I no tell!”

Louis laughed. “You kept the secret really well. Liam was so proud of you. He loves you so much.”

“Loves him,” Harry told Louis.

“Can we call him and you tell him that?” Harry shook his head. “Why?”

“Home. Tell him at home,” Harry said, referring to London as home for the first time ever. “Hug. Kiss.” He pointed to his chest over his heart. “Love.” Louis nodded his head in understanding; his son wanted to fix Liam’s boo-boo like he did Zayn’s. “How wong?”

“Ten days, Hazza. That’s a long time for Liam to think you hate him,” Louis told him. “Can I tell him you don’t hate him?” Harry shook his head. Louis sighed; he knew he was going to tell Liam anyway, just to try and make Liam feel better. “Alright. Are you ready to go down for Christmas pudding?” 

Harry jumped from the bed and hugged Louis tightly before disappearing from the room. Louis shot a text to Liam, “ _ Harry says he loves you, but don’t tell him I told you.”  _ He waited a couple of minutes for a response and didn’t get one, so it was with a heavy heart that Louis joined his family for dessert.

Boxing Day was lazy. Louis and Lottie sat around on the sofa watching the other kids play with their toys from Santa, while attempting to throw popcorn into each other’s mouth. Harry donned his apron and chef’s hat and helped Jay make Bubble and Squeak from the previous day’s leftovers. Louis felt happy and settled, except for the noticeable absence of messages from Liam.  

He hadn’t heard from him since the previous day; no matter how many silly snaps that Louis sent, he didn’t get a response from Liam and no notifications he’d even seen them. Lottie teased him for a few minutes, but seemed to pull back when she realized her brother was really upset. After dinner, Louis shot off a text to Liam.  _ “I’ll let you be. Guess I’ll just see you in nine days then.”  _

His phone buzzed a half-hour later and Niall’s name flashed across the screen. “Hello?” Louis answered.

“Hey, Lou,” Liam’s voice was quiet through the phone. 

“Why are you calling from Niall’s phone?”

“Dropped mine in the dishwater last night. Fried it good. Tried to get a new one, but the store was insane. Figured I better give you a call before you started to worry.” Louis felt relieved, but he could tell that Liam was still feeling off.  

“Too late,” Louis teased him. “Was having a bit of a strop, actually.”

“I’m sorry.” Liam’s voice was plaintive and Louis could hear the tears. “I’ve done nothing ‘cept screw things up.”

“You didn’t get my text about Hazza last night, then?”

“No. Is he alright?” Liam’s voice took on a manic edge bringing a fond, sad smile to Louis’ face.

“He’s fine. He just told me that-”

“No, Daddo!” Harry shouted, racing out of the kitchen and grabbing the phone. “No tell! You promise!”

“You’re right, Hazza. I did promise. I’m sorry. Can I have my phone back now?” Harry shook his head and pulled the phone closer to his chest. Louis could make out sounds coming from it and wondered what Liam was trying to say. “Do you want to talk to Liam then?” 

The little boy squeaked and threw the phone at Louis. “No!”

Louis watched Harry run away as he moved the phone back up to his ear. “Still there, babe?” Liam’s response was barely a breath of air. “He’s still being a bit of a brat. Be thankful you aren’t having to deal with it all.”

“Yeah, right,” Liam said, his voice distracted. “Look, I’ve got to go. My folks want to get a late dinner and go to a movie before they leave tomorrow.”

“Thought you were all staying there for a few more days,” Louis said. He went over the numbers in his head and was sure Liam was leaving his parents on the twenty-ninth, not the twenty-seventh.

“Nic and Roo both left already and mum and dad made plans to go visit friends, so Niall and I will probably only stick around one more day. Wish I’d known sooner, ya know? Might not have come home at all.” There was some background noise, and Liam made a sound in his throat. “I’ve got to go.”

“Um. The other day?”

“Yeah, Lou?”

“When we hung up. You said…” he trailed off, wondering if Liam even remembered.

“Yeah, I did.” Louis heard the noise again and then Liam’s voice muffled, as if he’d put his hand over the phone, telling Niall to sod off. Then his voice was back in his ear, still sad. “What’s Hareball doing?”

Louis walked into the kitchen and saw Harry standing on a chair by the window drawing in the condensation there. He’d drawn nine lines and was counting them and looking at Ernie who was sitting in his highchair. “Nine days I see Pay-o. That long time.”

Louis ducked back out before Harry saw him and smiled into the phone. “Counting the days until we see you.”

“Don’t lie to me, please,” Liam pleaded, his voice tight. “I’ve got to go. Going to try and get a new phone once we get back to London, so don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a few days, yeah?” His voice was rushed, and Louis heard way too much finality in them.

“I’m not lying, Li. I swear-”

“I gotta go. Talk to you soon.”

The beeping in his ear let him know that Liam had disconnected the call. He stared at his phone in disbelief, feeling more confused about what he had with Liam than he had since Halloween. He finally went into the kitchen and found only Ernie slapping the tray of his high chair, so he wandered through to the foyer and saw Harry standing by the front door, struggling to zip up his coat.

“Where you off to, Hazza?” he asked.

“Wolfie,” he responded before turning away.  

Louis stared at his son, shocked. He didn’t snap out of it until Harry managed to get the door open and had stepped out onto the porch. Louis reached over and gently pulled Harry back inside and into his arms. “You can’t go to Wolverhampton. It’s too far and too late,” Louis told him, holding tight as Harry struggled.

“I take train,” Harry said, holding out a handful of change and a couple of cereal pieces. “I buy ticket to Wolfie. I see Pay-o. I make better.”

“We’ll see him in London in nine days, Hazza.”

“No! Nine days too long. I make better now!” Harry was still struggling while Louis was trying to hold back tears. Jay came into the foyer and reached out to help Louis contain Harry.

“Look, how about this, Hazza. Tomorrow, after lunch, you and I will go to Wolverhampton together to find Liam.”

“Really?” Harry looked at him, his green eyes wide.

“Really.” Jay gave Louis a small smile and nodded as if she approved of the plan. “Right now, why don’t we go get our bags together before getting some sleep.” 

Louis watched Harry race up the stairs mumbling excitedly about what he needed to pack. Jay pulled Louis into her arms and gave him a hug and kiss on the forehead before sending him upstairs to help Harry and get some sleep. “Love you, mum,” Louis said as followed his son’s path. 

The next morning, Louis was having a hard time keeping Harry in his seat to feed him breakfast. He was eager to leave as well, but he didn’t want to leave too early. In fact, a small part of him was hesitant to even go, unsure where they even stood with Liam after the abrupt end to the phone call the night before. He’d shot off a ‘good morning’ text to Niall’s phone, but had heard nothing back; something he was, unfortunately, getting used to the last couple days.

Once breakfast was cleared, Harry was already at the door, trying to reach his coat. “We aren’t leaving yet, Hazza.” There was really nothing stopping them from leaving right that moment, but Louis hadn't quite built up the courage to put himself and Harry at risk of rejection from Liam. 

He got Harry settled onto the couch with a book, and they were reading together when he heard the doorbell. His mum got up and went to open it, Louis’ ears straining to figure out who had come to call. He heard whispered voices and then a lot of commotion before he felt Harry get scooped out of his arms.

He dropped the book and jumped to his feet, surprised to see Liam standing in his mum’s living room and holding Harry to his chest, the both of them crying. He heard whispered “sorry” and “love you” over and over. Louis put a hand over his mouth to hold back tears when Liam’s eyes met his over Harry’s head.

“I’m so sorry to show up unannounced. I couldn’t go another day knowing my boys were sad,” Liam said. “I love you, Louis. I love you and your son, and I’m so sorry for how childish I was acting.”

Louis waved a hand to silence Liam, and then stepped forward to press their mouths together, laughing when Harry started cheering between the two of them. Louis could hear Jay and Niall cooing in the background, but he only had eyes for Liam and Harry.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson knew he was unequivocally in love with Liam James Payne.


	19. Chapter 19 - December 2014/January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments!!!!!
> 
> Thanks for the comments on yesterday's update, everyone. I really appreciate it and they help get me through the day!!! So, please, keep the love coming! :D
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Liam and Niall only stayed until the next morning, but Harry was much more understanding when they left and made sure to tell Liam over and over that he loved him. Louis loved seeing the smile on Liam’s face and took some surreptitious photos of Liam and Harry in such moments, setting one as his home screen on his phone. Once they left, the rest of vacation passed quickly. Liam made sure to get a new phone as soon as he arrived back in London and immediately started calling and texting frequently. Every night before Harry went to bed, he and Liam would talk for about a half-hour, the little boy reading to him over the phone and always saying goodbye with a “Loves you, Pay-o”. 

New Year’s Eve was a loud night at home with Louis watching over his sisters while his mum and Dan went to a party. He was on the phone with Liam at midnight, thankful that the man wasn’t out on a call and, instead, at the firehouse watching all the excitement on the telly like he was. “I love you, Lou,” were the first words he heard in 2015 and he couldn’t be happier that the first words he spoke were, “I love you, too.” Harry had knocked out a good hour before midnight, but Louis made sure to hold the phone to his sleeping figure and heard Liam whispering, “I love you” to him.

On January Third, the night before they were due to leave to drive back to London, Louis went out with a few of his old friends to have a couple drinks and catch up. Harry was a bit sad that Louis was going out without him, but then Daisy distracted him with a new board game she’d gotten for Christmas and hadn’t let him touch until then. It was still pretty early when Louis came home, realizing that as much as he still loved his old friends, sitting around in a pub and watching them get drunk and attempt to pull wasn’t nearly as fun as he remembered before Harry.

He was slightly tipsy as he stumbled up the stairs, looking at his phone as it buzzed. “Hiiiii,” he said when he picked up. Liam’s responding giggle in his ear zinged through his entire body. “You, my fine lad, are pissed,” Louis told him.

“I’m a lad?” Liam’s voice sounded so eager, Louis had to hold back his own giggle.

“Nah, still a boy, but definitely pissed. What were you up to tonight?” Louis reached his room and found it empty, walking down the hall, he peeked into the other rooms and found Harry curled up in Ernest’s crib with the small boy, their hands clenched in each other’s pajamas.

“Had the night off and was moping, so Niall dragged me down to the pub to hang out with Sunny and Rain. Still here waiting to go home, but I think Niall and Sunny went upstairs.” Louis heard a female voice in the background and began to feel a bit more sober. “They definitely went upstairs.” Liam’s voice lowered. “I think they’re doing it,” he whispered, and Louis barked out a laugh.

“Doing what, Liam?” he managed to pull his jeans and jumper off while not losing the phone.

“It,” Liam giggled out. “You know…”

Louis had never heard Liam this drunk and he was finding it incredibly endearing. “I don’t know, Liam. Why don’t you explain it to me?” Then he heard the female voice again. “Do you need to let me go so you can entertain someone?”

“Whaaaa’?” Liam asked, and Louis could picture the confused look in the other boy’s eyes.

“Someone is obviously trying to get your attention.” Louis knew his voice was clipped, but he was feeling a bit put out by the fact that Liam was having a good time at the pub when his own night out had been incredibly boring; that he was having fun without him. He heard Liam give a sad whimper, and he instantly felt guilty for getting upset. “It’s just Rain, yeah?” he asked, letting the rational part of his brain take over for a moment.

“Yeah. Sunny and Niall left her to babysit me,” Liam explained in a quiet voice, and Louis heard Rain’s laughter. “She’s not doing a very good job, though. There’s this blonde bird on the other side of the room that keeps sending over drinks.”

“To you?”

“To her!” Liam giggled when Rain shouted, followed by a struggle and lots of laughter. 

After a few moments, when Louis was ready to hang up the phone, a female with a distinctly Southern American accent spoke into the phone. “Is this the infamous sassmaster from Doncaster?”

Louis barked out a laugh. “It is. Is this the absolutely gorgeous Raincloud?”

“Oh, stop! You’ll make your boy jealous.”

“I’m a lad!” Louis heard Liam shout.

“No, you’re not,” Rain and Louis said in unison, and then laughed.

“Tell me more about this blonde bird,” Louis said, and Rain giggled in his ear.

“She’s been sending me drinks all night, but still won’t come up and speak to me. I think Liam is scaring her. I’m ready to go upstairs and coitus interruptus my sister and Niall so he can take this lump home. He’s cramping my style.” She gave a sigh. “He’s giving me the puppy eyes. How do you resist those?”

“Four-year-old son. You become immune.” 

“Ooh, she’s approaching,” Rain said, and then, she was gone.

Louis could hear Liam giggling on the other end. “Alright, Li?”

“Yeah. Just laughing at Rain. They’re dancing now!” he nearly shouted, and Louis held the phone away from his ear. “And I’m all alone.” He could hear the pout in Liam’s voice.

“Tomorrow, love. We’ll be back tomorrow,” Louis told him, feeling sad as he settled himself on his bed.

“I knooooooooooooooooow, but I want you here noooooooooooooooooooow,” he whined. “Niall and Sunny are doing it and Rain and Blonde Bird are probably gonna do it and I want you here, so we…” he trailed off.

Louis’ eyebrows shot up. Since they’d started officially dating, the physical aspect of their relationship had consisted of kissing and cuddling, never moving further than that. Even on the mornings when he’d woken up hard, and felt Liam, equally hard, against him, they’d just shared a few kisses and moved on with their days. They’d teased each other about it, but they’d never really discussed the subject of that level of intimacy. Louis knew he avoided the topic out of guilt because it was difficult for him to find the opportunity away from Harry to do anything sexual, but he was convinced that Liam just didn’t want him that way.

“Lou?” Liam asked. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

“Stop apologizing, Li. You didn’t do anything wrong, just surprised me a bit, yeah?” Louis was trying to make sense of all the thoughts in his head, but he kept coming back to an image of him and Liam wrapped together.

“I know you don’t want-”

“I want, Liam. Trust me, I want,” Louis assured him, wondering if this meant that Liam did as well. His breaths were coming faster as he felt himself harden at the thoughts racing through his head. “However, you are in a public place-”

“I can get a car,” Liam interrupted. “We can continue this when I get home.” He sounded as breathless as Louis felt.

“As tempting as that is, I don’t want the first time I get off with you to be when we’re miles apart, yeah?” Louis said, his voice quiet, afraid of upsetting Liam. 

“First time,” Liam whispered; Louis smiled at the bit of excitement that edged the words. “Yeah. Yeah. I totally understand that. Tomorrow, yeah?” Liam asked, his voice pleading.

“We’ll see if Zayn or Niall will take Harry overnight,” Louis said, feeling excitement fluttering in his stomach. 

“Niall’s back,” Liam said loudly. Louis could just picture him waving his arm excitedly over his head as he shouted, “NIALLER!!!!!!!!!!”

“I’ll let you go, now. I need to get a few more hours of sleep so I can get home to you,” Louis told him.

“Home,” Liam sighed, and Louis realized it was the first time he’d called London home outloud. “I love you, Louis.”

“Love you, too, Liam.” He hung up the phone and buried his face in his pillow, giggling loudly.

All too early the next morning, Harry was jumping on Louis’ bed, shouting, “Time go home, Daddo!!!! Wakey wakey!”

He heard his mother laughing. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t love me anymore, Harebear.”

“Loves you, Nana! Gots see Pay-o! Wakey wakey!” Harry dropped down on top of Louis and started tugging at his hair.  

“Go ‘way,” Louis muttered. “M’sleepin’.”

Harry bounced and pulled a few more times, trying desperately to get his father out of bed. He gave a huff and asked Jay for help when Louis’ phone began to ring, a familiar song filling the room. “Pay-o!” Harry shouted, grabbing the phone and answering. He was silent for a moment and then asked in a confused voice, “What tonight?”

Louis rolled himself over, upsetting Harry and nearly knocking him to the floor as he scrambled for the phone. “What tonight, Daddo? Pay-o want know you ready?” Louis wasn’t sure what to say, but he could hear Liam still talking. “Sleepover! I ready!” Harry shouted.

His mum must have noticed the look on Louis’ face because she reached for the phone and passed it to Louis, laughing as Harry shouted, “Loves you, Pay-o!” and scrambled out of the room talking about the upcoming sleepover.

“Well, I guess that changes things a bit,” Louis said as he finally got the phone to his ear, and he glared at his mum for laughing at him as she followed Harry out of the room. “What happened?”

“I thought it was you, and I asked if you were ready for tonight, but it was Hareball, and now, he thinks we’re all having a sleepover.” Liam groaned. “Note to self: always make sure it’s Louis on the phone before speaking.” Louis couldn’t stop laughing. “It’s not funny.”

  
“It’s hilarious,” Louis countered as he got out of bed. “I mean, I was looking forward to having a solo sleepover, but we always have fun with Hazza.” He moved around the room to finish getting his stuff together. He picked up his keys, smiling at the keychain.

“I want to have fun with  _ you _ ,” Liam said, his voice disappointed, and Louis knew that he was pouting.

“We will. The play is Saturday. Six days and we’ll have a beautiful hotel room all to ourselves. No kids. No neighbors. Nothing. Just you, me, and a bed,” Louis spoke softly and smiled when Liam let out a groan. “Or a floor. A wall. A shower. Whatever gets you going.”

“You are killing me. Hurry back to London so I can give you a boyfriend kiss,” Liam whispered, his voice huskier than normal, sending a shiver racing up Louis’ spine.

“Already packed. Leaving right after breakfast,” he told him. “Love you.”

“Drive careful. Love you, too.”

Louis pocketed his phone and grabbed his and Harry’s duffels before heading down the stairs. Harry was in the kitchen at the table eating a bowl of Cocoa Pops, another bowl sitting next to him. Frog and FroggieDoggie were sitting on another chair. “Hurry, Daddo, we go home,” Harry said around a mouthful. “We see Pay-o. Has sleepover.”

“Wouldn’t you rather spend the night at Uncle Zayn’s?” Louis attempted. “Or Uncle Niall’s?”

Harry shook his head, his curls falling everywhere and reminding Louis that he needed to get the boy’s hair cut soon. He sat down, pouring milk in his bowl and eating quietly as Harry rattled on about going home and Lad’s Night, which Louis had honestly forgot it was. His mum moved around the kitchen, and he watched her putting together a small cooler of snacks and drinks for them for the trip.

Dan and Louis worked together to get the television into the back of the car, moving Harry to the front seat, making Louis slightly nervous, but Harry was super excited. “I help drive!” he shouted as Louis double checked his lapbelt and started the car. He watched his family fading in the distance, but didn’t feel the overwhelming sadness he’d felt the last time he’d driven to London; this time, his heart was full of happiness to be returning to his friends. To Liam.

Harry stayed awake for about an hour, singing along to the radio to all of the pop songs. “I sing, Daddo!”

“You sing really well, Hazza. You should try out for XFactor when you get older,” he told him and Harry laughed. 

“No,” he said, shaking his head wildly, laughing as his hair went flying everywhere. “I be baker. Or liar.”

“Liar?” Louis asked, laughing, wondering what was going on in that crazy head of Harry’s.

“You know. Like telly. The people that argue.” Louis furrowed his brow, still confused. “Guilty! No Guilty!”

The lightbulb went on in Louis’ head. “Lawyers!”

“That I said. Liars,” Harry repeated, huffing out a breath, and Louis tried to hold back his laughter.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson was reminded just how much he adored his son.


	20. Chapter 20 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!!!
> 
> I'm really so very grateful for all of the comments I've been getting from you guys! Thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to me.
> 
> Now, I'm going to post this chapter and I am going to run away and hide because, well, stuff happens and it's the stuff I a) have the hardest time writing and b) have the least confidence in.
> 
> On that note, enjoy. Hopefully.
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

About halfway through the nearly three-hour drive, Harry dozed off, and Louis flipped through stations on the radio to find something to stay awake. Beginning to feel really sleepy just as he entered London, he forced himself to stay alert until he was pulling into the carpark near his flat, smiling when he saw Zayn, Liam, and Niall huddled together on the steps to the building. The car door was barely open when he was pulled out of the car and into Liam’s arms. Louis tried to laugh, but it was completely lost in a hard kiss from Liam.

They stayed locked together until he felt something hit him upside the back of the head. Pulling back, he blushed as Zayn leered at him. Niall was standing behind Zayn, holding a still-sleeping Harry in his arms. “I’m sure the two of you are plenty warm, but can we get inside before the rest of us freeze?” Zayn asked, laughing. He popped the boot and pulled out Louis and Harry’s bags.  “I’ve got these. Niall’s got Sprout. You two are in charge of the telly.”

After one more, far too brief, kiss, Louis and Liam started wrestling the box out of the car and up the stairs, smiling at the ever-helpful Zayn, who held the door and then tapped his foot on Louis’ bum as he passed, causing him to stumble and nearly drop his end of the box. Once they were all upstairs, Louis checked on Harry, who Niall had tucked into Louis' bed. 

Once he assured himself that Harry was tucked in snugly, he went back out in the sitting room to find Zayn and Liam already setting up the new television. Niall was in the kitchen laying out Chinese cartons and plates on the table. Louis observed them and let out a happy sigh, the feeling of home overcoming him. 

Liam looked up at him with a grin and nodded towards the end table where a huge bouquet of gardenias and day lilies sat. He crossed to sniff at them before making his way over to Liam and wrapping his arms around his waist. He buried his nose in Liam's neck. "They’re beautiful. Thank you.” He brushed Liam’s lips in a grateful kiss, sighing when Liam didn’t readily respond. “You're not too disappointed are you?"

"A bit, but I'm just glad to have you back." He pointed towards the door and Louis saw his go-bag sitting next to it. "Was hoping I could still sleepover."

"You are welcome to stay anytime, but I'm pretty sure we'll be sharing a bed with Hazza."

He could see Liam's bright smile out of the corner of his eye. "I am completely alright with that."

They took a break from setting the television up to eat dinner, Harry joining them as they were getting ready to clean up after themselves. He sat at the table and frowned when everyone got up, so, without a word, everyone sat back down and stayed at the table while Harry ate and talked about his time in Doncaster. Louis saw knowing smiles as Harry talked about his presents from Santa. He waved FroggieDoggie around and smiled when Niall tried to steal the stuffed toy away.

After they were finished eating, Zayn and Liam went back to the television while Niall and Louis cleaned up in the kitchen. Harry moved between the groups, and then ran into his room to get his presents to show off. Niall had him put on his apron and hat and they started baking a cake. Once the cake was in the oven, Zayn sat down with Harry and his sketchbooks and they worked together on drawing a picture of FroggieDoggie while Louis took over helping Liam set up the television.

Once everything was hooked up, Louis cracked open the FIFA game Niall had bought him and they started playing, Harry cheering from the floor where he was colouring in his picture of FroggieDoggie. It didn’t matter who was winning or who scored, Harry would jump to his feet and cheer, shaking his little booty before sitting back down. After a few games, Harry was starting to yawn, and Louis was beginning to feel a bit worn out himself.

“Time for us to head out, I think,” Zayn said, smiling. “You wanna sleepover at mine, Sprout?” Harry shook his head. Zayn pouted out his lower lip. 

“No. Sleepover here. With Pay-o,” he said, crawling into Liam’s lap and curling up with his head on his chest.

Zayn gave Louis an ‘I tried’ look and shrug and, after some hugs, he and Niall left, calling out, “See you tomorrow!”

Louis locked up behind them, turning to find Liam and Harry still on the sofa, Liam’s head tilted against the back and mouth slack around soft snores, Harry sleeping soundly against his chest.  Louis smiled affectionately before going over and pressing a kiss to Liam’s forehead. Liam blinked his eyes open and smiled. “Sorry.”

“No worries,” he said, reaching to take Harry from Liam and then helping pull Liam to his feet.

As they got into the bedroom, Liam took Harry back and started to climb the ladder, but Harry stirred and lifted his head. “Story.”

Liam smiled and moved to put Harry into the center of Louis’ bed, curling up next to him while Louis picked a book and brought it over. Once Louis was settled on the other side of Harry, Liam took the book and began reading. Harry was sound asleep again before the third page. Liam closed the book and pressed a kiss to the top of Harry’s head. 

Louis grabbed some joggers and a shirt to sleep in and glanced over to see Liam standing next to the bed, looking at Harry. “What?”

Liam shook himself, as if he’d been lost in thought. “Should we move him?”

Louis shrugged as he left the room to change. “Up to you,” he told him, wondering what choice Liam would make. He knew that no matter where Harry slept, nothing was going to happen between them in that bed. At least, not tonight.

Louis was still standing in the middle of the bathroom when he heard a knock on the door, he pulled the door open and smiled at Liam, gasping when the other man pushed into the room, closing the door shut behind him and locking it. Before Louis could question him, Liam was wrapping him in his arms and covering his mouth in an aggressive kiss. Louis stood shocked for a moment before returning the kiss with equal fervour. 

Liam pressed one hand to the small of Louis’ back and gripped his hair in the other, using the grasp to tilt his head and deepen the kiss even more. Louis couldn’t seem to find a place to rest his hands and moved them fervently over Liam’s arms and chest, one hand resting on his cheek at one point. Liam’s hand slid lower, curving over Louis’ bum and squeezing, earning a squeak from Louis who pulled back from the kiss.

They were both panting as Liam pressed his forehead to Louis’. “I’m sorry,” he gasped out, not removing his hand from its resting spot. “I couldn’t stop thinking about…” he trailed off, his hand squeezing as he pressed another kiss to Louis’ lips.

“You don’t have to apologize. Just surprised me,” Louis said, chuckling. “Not used to this side of you.” He ran his hand down Liam’s chest and, with a cheeky smile, over the waistband of his jeans to cup his already hard length. Liam let out a moan. “I have to say that I like it.”

“Lou, don’t tease, please. I’ve been on edge since yesterday,” Liam said, his voice hushed, eyes closed.

Louis pushed up on his toes, brushing his lips over Liam’s earlobe, taking it gently between his teeth for a nibble before whispering. “Didn’t take care of yourself? Have a quick wank in the shower thinking about me?” He unbuttoned Liam’s jeans and slid the zipper down, sliding his hand underneath the waistband of his pants. Liam gasped and stumbled, his back hitting the door; Louis staying with him as he wrapped his hand around his length.

“Didn’t seem fair,” Liam gasped out, both of his hands fisted into his own hair as he knocked his head back against the door, stretching his neck and giving Louis access to his birthmark. “Knew you couldn’t…”

Louis chuckled against his neck. “What if I took an extra long shower? Stood under the water, running my hands over myself. Thinking of you until I spilled,” he whispered against Liam’s neck before taking the skin between his teeth and nibbling, sucking, knowing he would leave a mark surrounding the one nature gave him, his grip on Liam tightening. Once he was happy with what he’d left behind, he pulled back and blew over it, enjoying the shiver that Liam gave.

“Did...did…” Liam couldn’t seem to finish a sentence, and Louis was quite proud of himself.

“No,” Louis said, removing his hand from Liam’s pants and lowering himself to his knees. “I waited. Laid in bed thinking about you. About the things I wanted to do to you.” He tugged on Liam’s jeans, pulling them and his pants to his ankles, his hard cock bouncing up and nearly hitting Louis in the nose. 

Liam let out a groan of embarrassment as Louis giggled, pressing a kiss to the tip of Liam’s cock, licking away the precome that gathered on his lips. Gently pulling back the foreskin, Louis swirled his tongue around the exposed tip, humming at the taste. He suckled the head gently before sliding slowly down the length, taking Liam deeper.  

Liam’s breathing sped up and he hesitantly moved a hand to Louis’ hair, fingers tangling and tensing to just-the-right-side of painful when his cock bumped the back of Louis’ throat. Louis pushed a tiny bit further, allowing Liam to feel him swallow around the head. Liam’s head banged against the door again, and Louis sucked harder before he pulled off with a pop.  

Louis grinned up at Liam, running his hand up and down his length with one hand while reaching down to stave off his own orgasm with the other. After a few moments, Liam opened his eyes and looked down at Louis. As soon as their eyes met, Louis took him in his mouth again, working his tongue over him slowly. Liam hissed, and Louis would have smiled if his lips weren’t already stretched over Liam’s impressive girth.

Louis scratched the nails of one hand gently down Liam’s thighs, closing his eyes as Liam hissed and rocked his hips forward in response. Louis moaned, taking Liam slowly deeper until he was slipping into his throat again. The fingers in his hair tightened, and he gagged slightly as Liam’s hips hitched again. 

“S...sorry, Lou,” Liam gasped out. “Not gonna last if you keep that up.”

Louis sped up the hand he had on himself as he began moving his head again. He alternated between bobbing his head quickly up and down a few times before sucking Liam deep into his throat again. After a few moments, just as his throat was beginning to feel the effects of his efforts, he felt Liam yank on his hair and shout out a warning, but Louis only pulled up enough to keep just Liam’s tip in his mouth.  As soon as Liam’s come hit his tongue, Louis felt his own orgasm take over. He slipped back onto his heels, still tugging himself and Liam through their orgasms. Liam coated his face while Louis painted his own chest white.  

Once they were both done and coming down, Liam slid down the door to sit across from Louis on the floor. Louis let out a breath and stretched his jaw a bit before smiling at Liam. “It really is big,” he said with a laugh.

Liam reached a hand out and swiped up some of Louis’ come before sucking it off his fingers and giving Louis a cheesy wink. Louis shook his head, a fond smile on his face that was completely replaced by a shocked yelp when Liam pushed Louis back onto the floor and slowly licked Louis’ skin clean of the evidence of their activities.

It was at that moment that Louis William Tomlinson knew Liam James Payne would be the death of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLnQ)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLnQ))  
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLnd)  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLnd))


	21. Chapter 21 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!! Four updates in one week. How did that happen?
> 
> Oh, that's right because, did you know, today is Midsummer? As in Midsummer Moments, my dear friends. I know it seems hard to believe since the official first day of summer was just the other day, but I googled the hell out of it to be sure and it is. Today, June 24th is Midsummer, so I have another chapter for you.
> 
> Another chapter where I am going to post and run.
> 
> Have a lovely day!! I'll see you all on Monday!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

The week passed slowly for Louis, he kept double checking what day it was and then laughing when, almost every time, Liam would text him a few moments later with a countdown picture. He smiled at the picture, remembering the selfie being taken at his mum’s house on his birthday, when they were both giddy from dinner. Louis had pulled his classic closed-lipped silly face and Liam’s tongue was pushing against the back of his teeth. Even without the steadily decreasing number at the bottom of the screen each day, just receiving the image would make Louis smile for hours afterwards.

When Saturday finally rolled around, Louis was up really early. Liam hadn’t spent the night since the night they’d gotten back, having to work a couple of twenty-fours and then just being too tired to come over. He hated to admit just how much he’d missed having Liam around. Louis made breakfast for himself and Harry and kept looking at the clock, groaning when it seemed to be at a standstill. Once the French Toast was done, he woke Harry, who immediately started to ask when Sunny and Niall were going to come pick him up. It seemed Louis wasn’t the only one excited about the day’s events.

Niall and Sunny arrived around one to pick up Harry, and Zayn walked into the flat behind them, a thick winter coat on and scarf hanging loosely around his neck. “You go, Unca Zed?” Harry asked. Zayn nodded with a grimace.  

“Can’t let you lot have all the fun,” he told Harry, although Louis didn’t seem to think that Zayn looked overly enthused to be going. "Can I steal your dad for a few minutes?"

"Stealing is bad!" Harry said, but was giggling, and Louis’ heart soared a little bit that his son understood what Zayn had meant.  

Louis followed Zayn out into the hallway and into his flat. "Alright, mate?"

Zayn reached into a drawer in the table next to the couch and handed Louis a small white bag. "Just wanted to make sure you're prepared for tonight."

Louis' jaw dropped because he couldn't believe Zayn was doing this. Again. "I am capable of buying my own-"

Zayn cut him off by shaking the bag at him. Louis took it, opening it carefully. He chuckled when he found a couple packs of gum, sample sizes of different colognes and, "Eyeliner?"

Zayn nodded. "Figured it would look sick and fancy on you. Make a good impression and all. Do you need help?"

Louis arched an eyebrow at him. "I've worn my share of eyeliner on stage, just hadn't thought about doing it in everyday life."

"This isn't every day, this is a big night for you," Zayn told him as he started to gather his stuff. "I'm really happy for the two of you." Although the smile on Zayn’s face was bright, Louis could see the hint of sadness in his hazel eyes. Louis drew him into a tight hug, trying to reassure his friend.

They walked back over to Louis’ flat, arms linked together, to find Harry was already bundled up and arguing with Niall about bringing FroggieDoggie to the festival. “You don’t want to risk someone seeing him and stealing him, do you?” Louis asked, and Harry shook his head.

“How about he rides in the car, and then we’ll buckle him in while we go to the festival? You can even buy him a present!” Niall said, smiling when Harry looked thoughtful before nodding and hugging the animal tightly to his chest.

Zayn squatted down in front of Harry. “C’mon, Sprout. Up y’go.” Harry scrambled onto Zayn’s back, wrapping his arms around his neck, FroggieDoggie hanging against Zayn’s chest. Once he was standing again, Louis pressed a kiss to Harry’s cheek and then Zayn’s, laughing when Niall presented his.  

“Bye, guys. Niall, you be good for Harry and Zayn,” Louis teased, and Harry giggled into Zayn’s neck, causing a large amount of fond to wash over his face as he smiled at Louis.

Once the door was shut behind them, Louis glanced at the clock on the wall and yelped. Suddenly, it seemed like time was flying, and he still needed to take a shower. Liam would be there in just over an hour so they could head to Malmaison to check in and get ready there for their big night. Louis swallowed hard as he thought about just how big the day and night ahead of him were going to be.

After a more thorough shower than Louis had taken in years, which didn’t help to calm his excitement, or nerves, about the upcoming night, Louis shut the water off and could hear knocking in the distance. He wrapped a towel around his waist and headed into the living room where his phone was going off, as well. He grabbed it off the seat of the couch and saw Liam’s face. Double-checking the time as he answered, noting that he had a half-hour left, he was a bit concerned. “Louis? Are you okay? Where are you?” Liam’s voice rushed out, and Louis had to chuckle as he retucked the towel wrapped around his waist 

“Liam, I’m fine. I was in the shower. You’re early; well, you are, if that’s you at my door.” He peeked through the peephole and saw Liam’s shoulders sag in relief. “I hope it’s you because I’m opening the door in just a towel.” He barely had the door open when Liam pushed through and slammed it behind him, throwing the lock, and Louis had a vague sense of deja vu. “Li-” he was cut off by Liam pulling him to his chest and kissing him aggressively.

“Couldn’t risk the neighbors seeing you like this,” Liam said when the kiss broke, their chests heaving, his fingers running along the edges of the towel. “This is just for me, yeah?” His voice was possessive and caused a shiver to run up Louis’ back as he curled himself into Liam, pressing his heated face into Liam’s neck.

“Just for you,” Louis muttered, pulling back. “However, if we’re going to leave this flat today, I really should get some clothes on.” Liam gave a look like he was trying to decide if staying there would be a bad thing. Louis swatted him on the arm. “I am not missing  _ Wicked _ for anything.”

“Anything?” Liam asked, looking at him through his lashes, lower lip caught between his teeth and a bouquet of brightly coloured flowers in front of him.

Louis gasped and pulled them to his face, burying his nose, and then blinking at Liam in surprise. “They smell like peaches!” He looked down at the blue and purple buds, tracing the petals that resembled curled ribbons and burying his face in them again. “They look like fuzzy little carnations! What are they?”

“Bachelor’s Buttons. Or Cornflower,” Liam said, trying to take them away from Louis who wasn’t letting go and kept sniffing them. “Didn’t you want to get dressed so we could leave?” Liam laughed as Louis pouted at him while handing the flowers to Liam.

Louis was halfway to his room when he stopped and looked over his shoulder, laughing when he caught Liam staring at his arse. “What do they mean?” 

Liam’s face was bright red as he turned towards the kitchen. “Anticipation,” he said quietly. Louis smiled as he thought about how perfect they were for how he was feeling as well.

Once Louis was dressed in a Van’s shirt, covered by a black Adidas jumper he would never admit he’d stolen from Liam, and black skinny jeans, he went back out to find Liam pacing the living room. He stopped to look him over, admiring the dark green plaid flannel that was hanging open over a black shirt. His blue jeans hung low, as always, showing him the tops of his Batman pants and Louis couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he spoke a soft, “Hey.”

“Is that mine?” Liam asked when he looked up. Louis shook his head, but his laughter gave away the lie. Liam pointed to the table, and Louis whispered out a gasp at how pretty the new flowers looked mixed in with the stark white of the remaining gardenias and day lilies. 

“Beautiful,” Louis said, stepping up to stand right in front of Liam and pushing onto his toes to press a quick, gentle kiss to his lips. “I love you.” Now that the words had been spoken between them, Louis couldn’t seem to stop saying them every chance he found.

“Love you, too.” Liam pulled Louis into a hug and they stood like that for a few moments before pulling apart.  

Louis picked his duffel up off the floor and grabbed the white bag from Zayn, sliding it into a side pocket before going into the bathroom to get his bag of toiletries and adding them to the bag.  Liam watched him, smiling when Louis opened the bag and Dog’s head popped out. They both chuckled as Louis made sure he had everything he needed before zipping the bag carefully shut. Liam shouldered the bag before he could and reached for the garment bag hanging by the door.

Louis hurried to open the door to the flat to let him out and followed behind, locking up quickly behind them. They walked silently to the car and got in before heading towards the hotel. The ride was quiet and Louis kept playing with the strings on the jumper, startling when Liam reached over to take one of his hands.

“We don’t have to-” Liam started, but Louis cut him off, knowing what it was they didn’t have to do.

“I want to, Liam.” Louis ran his free hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. “I think I proved that the other night.” Liam let out a pleased-sounding hum before releasing Louis’ hand to rub over Louis’ thigh. “I’m allowed to be nervous, yeah?”

Liam’s hand squeezed, and Louis wriggled in his seat a bit, but didn’t pull away or remove his hand. “Of course, I just don’t want you to feel like you have to do anything.”

Louis gave a soft smile. “I don’t feel that way, Li. Trust me, this is  _ all _ want,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows a bit before moving his own hand to rest on Liam’s thigh, giggling as Liam jerked the wheel when Louis’ hand slid a little higher and closer to center.

They pulled into the carpark at the hotel, and Louis reached for the bags, swatting at Liam’s hands when he tried to grab them away from him. He finally had to give in and hand over the garment bags after he’d nearly dropped them for the third time. He glared at Liam’s large fingers wrapped around the two hooks before imagining those fingers put to other uses and losing his train of thought.

“Coming?” Liam chuckled as he stood in the doorway, exchanging a look with the doorman.

“Not yet,” Louis muttered, pushing past him and yelping when Liam swatted him on the bum.

The check-in process was quick and before long, they were in the room. Louis’ mouth was agape as he looked around before dropping the duffels and racing to belly flop on the bed. He rolled over to his back just in time for Liam to land next to him, his arm catching Louis’ midsection. “Oof! Ow!” Louis curled into himself, and Liam’s eyes immediately grew sad. “I’m okay,” he gasped out as he struggled to sit up. “Who would’ve thought a bed could be so dangerous,” he joked, his breath still tight.

Liam lifted the edge of Louis’ jumper and touched his stomach gently, a sound of relief escaping when Louis giggled. He crooked an eyebrow before running his fingers over the area again, digging in a little harder, earning a loud squeal as Louis tried to roll into a ball again, but Liam used his other hand to hold him still. 

Louis fought to get a hand to Liam’s side to tickle him, but suddenly Liam seemed to have extra limbs and every time he moved, Liam stopped his attempts with one hand while the other continued to torture Louis’ sides. Louis’ breaths were fast and shallow by the time he wheezed out, “Surrender,” and Liam released him, panting as well.

“You are evil,” Louis snapped, but he couldn’t stop the smile that quirked the corners of his lips, nor the giggle that escaped when he tried. 

“You love me,” Liam teased back, sliding off the edge of the bed and reaching out a hand, pulling Louis to his feet.

“That I do.” Louis pressed his lips to Liam’s briefly before pulling away to pick up his bag and depositing it on the dresser. “How long until dinner?” he asked, opening the bag and digging through it.

Liam’s arms slid around his waist as he nibbled gently at the column of his neck, Louis’ head tilting without thought to allow more access. “Long enough to return the favour from Sunday,” he whispered, his breath tickling across Louis’ damp skin.

Louis turned in his arms, a wicked smile on his face. “I could be up for that,” he said, as his hands began to fumble with Liam’s belt buckle.

Liam covered Louis’ hands with his. “This was me returning the favour, not…” Louis’ pressed their lips together to silence him and went back to undoing his belt, dropping to his knees as he tugged down his jeans and pants at the same time. Louis had his mouth wrapped around Liam before he could argue again.

“Lou…” he choked out, trying to get a grip on his hair and tug him away.

Louis pulled off with a pop, quickly followed by a swirl of his tongue around the tip. Looking up, he quirked an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his lips with obvious intent, chasing the taste of precome. “Have you quite finished?”

Liam laughed loudly, pulled Louis to his feet and covered his mouth with his own, forcefully taking control of the kiss while sliding one hand down to undo the button and zip of Louis’ jeans. Louis tried to argue, but surrendered to the power of the kiss, his body falling limp against Liam’s. Once his jeans were opened, Liam ran his hands around to Louis’ bum and, using both hands, pulled Louis up, forcing him to wrap his legs around his waist.

Louis’ mind went blank except for the thought of Liam fucking into him just like this and tried to make a mental note to bring it up later, when they had more time. He moaned into Liam’s mouth as he felt Liam shuffling carefully with his jeans and pants around his calves; he opened his eyes to see Liam looking beyond his shoulder. He only had a moment to wonder where they were going before they fell onto the bed, Liam landing soundly on top of him, their dicks rubbing harshly together and ripping a gasp from them both.

Liam licked down the column of Louis’ neck, nipping at the tendon as Louis stretched his head back, arching against the bed. Liam’s hand slid into his pants, cupping him with a gentle squeeze.  Louis opened his mouth to argue when Liam removed his hand, but stopped as Liam yanked the clothing off his legs and tossed them away. He pressed a kiss to the inside of Louis’ right ankle and trailed his tongue upwards, smiling when Louis giggled.

Liam nipped lightly at the inside of Louis’ right thigh, running his tongue gently over the abused skin. Louis let out a gasp and then a sigh, his body relaxing into the bed as Liam’s mouth moved over to his aching cock, lips brushing up the length. Liam pulled his foreskin back before lapping precome away from the slit with a happy sound. 

Liam swirled his tongue around the head of Louis’ cock slowly, quiet keening sounds escaping Louis. He gently scraped his teeth against the foreskin, grinning when Louis finally looked up, their eyes meeting. Liam winked, or at least attempted to, before moving his mouth down Louis’ length to take one of his balls into his mouth with a gentle suck.

Pressing a hand to each thigh, Liam bent Louis’ body nearly in half before moving his mouth even further back, his tongue running gently over his puckered entrance. He chuckled when Louis made an unmanly squeak, his thighs trying to close together and push Liam away at the same time. Liam licked again, the drag of his tongue slower. “Do you want me to stop?” Liam asked, his words causing him to breathe over the dampened skin.

“N-no,” Louis stuttered out, his eyes wide as Liam smiled and leaned to press an almost chaste kiss to the puckered muscle before quickly tracing it with the tip of his tongue.  

Louis’ voice became a stuttery mess of nonsense syllables that occasionally resembled Liam’s name. He was lost in the sensation of Liam’s mouth devouring him. He’d never been with someone who enjoyed eating him out as much as Liam was, most of his former lovers had not been into the act at all, sadly.  

The few coherent thoughts he was trying to desperately grasp onto disappeared the moment he felt a finger join Liam’s tongue to push inside of him. He tensed for a moment, Liam humming against him before pulling back, his face shiny with saliva and a cocksure grin on his face.

“Alright, babe?” he asked, his voice heavy with lustful confidence.

“Why’d you stop?” Louis shrieked, reaching for Liam to try and push him back down, glad when he was met with little resistance.  

“Insatiable,” he heard Liam mutter before turning his attention back to Louis’ opening, doubling his efforts.

Louis wanted to snap back with something witty, but his mind went blank as Liam slipped a second finger inside. Louis’ back arched slightly until Liam’ laid his other arm across his waist, anchoring him to the bed. Liam scissored his fingers gently and nibbled at Louis’ rim before curling his fingers just right to press against his bundle of nerves.

“Liam!” Louis screamed as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. He watched Liam try to wink and that adorable action in the middle of the incredible pleasure was all it took to push Louis over the edge and flat onto his back as he spilled, untouched, over his stomach. 

When Louis finally came back to himself, he felt Liam’s tongue running over his stomach. He looked down to meet Liam’s eyes with a smile. Liam leaned up over him, licking his lips before pressing a kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose.

“Love you,” Liam whispered.

“Love you, too,” Louis returned before sitting up and rubbing his nose against Liam’s. “Now I have to shower again.”

Liam wiggled his eyebrows and pulled Louis towards the bathroom. “Let’s conserve water, then.”

Louis allowed Liam to lead him to the shower, looking forward to another first with him and hoping that this wouldn’t make them late. To his disappointment, all they did was get clean and Liam was out before Louis could even consider dropping to his knees. Louis smiled after his boy and then finished cleaning himself up.

That was the moment that Louis William Tomlinson realized that he was in love with the most adorably frustrating man on the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLLL)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLLL))  
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLLF)  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLLF))  
> I swear that Bachelor's Buttons have become my new favourite flower because of this fic. Aren't they lovely? Someone would own my soul forever if they got me these.


	22. Chapter 22 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Moments Monday!
> 
> I hope everyone had a lovely weekend!!!!
> 
> Just a fun little night out for our boys in this chapter and the return of a familiar face. Enjoy!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

“Shit,” Louis heard Liam mutter as he was coming out of the loo.  He watched the other boy standing there with a tie in his hand and a pained expression on his face. “I’m such an idiot.”

“Stop talking about my boyfriend that way,” Louis said, coming up behind him and wrapping his arms around his waist. “What’s wrong? It’s a very nice purple tie.”

“A purple tie that goes great with my black suit, which is at home, in my wardrobe. It does not go well with my blue suit, which is here, in the garment bag.” He tugged a hand through his hair and tossed the tie towards the bed. “I wonder if there’s a shop nearby where I can get another tie.”

“Or,” Louis started, picking up the tie and walking over to his garment bag, unzipping it and pulling out a black tie. “You can wear my black tie with your blue suit and I can wear your purple tie with my black suit.”

Liam stared at him, his eyes on the two ties Louis was holding. “Really?” Louis nodded and stepped up, draping the black tie around Liam’s neck before using the ends to tug him into a kiss. “I love you so much,” Liam whispered when the kiss broke.

“I know,” Louis said with a wink, ducking away from Liam’s swatting hands.

They got dressed in easy silence, Louis watching Liam in the mirror as he adjusted the knot in his tie. He laid his jacket over the end of the bed before starting to mess with his hair. As Louis leaned closer to the mirror to focus on making even lines around his eyes, Liam came to stand behind him, tugging his hair into place. Louis yelped and nearly poked himself in the eye the first time Liam snuck a kiss to the back of his neck while reaching for more hair product. He glared when Liam chuckled at him, a small shrug of the shoulders in weak apology.

When they both agreed they were presentable, they left the room to head to the dining room. Dinner was delicious and made Louis feel posh, which made him giggle and have to fight off nervous laughter. Liam’s eyes scrunched shut, his tongue sliding along his teeth as Louis’ face glowed with happiness.

After dinner, they left the hotel and hopped the metro. There was a bit of walking between trains, but Louis didn’t mind because Liam kept an arm wrapped around him, pressing the occasional kiss to the top of his head. They arrived at the theatre, and Liam chased Louis up the stairs and inside, nearly knocking Louis over when he stopped suddenly, his jaw dropped, staring around himself.

“It’s like the Emerald City,” Louis whispered, his voice awed and Liam moved to stand in front of him, cupping his cheek and brushing his thumb over it. Louis’ eyes met his and the blue was glowing in the intense green lighting of the lobby.  

“Want to get a drink before kickoff?” Liam asked, teasingly.

“Curtain, you donut,” Louis teased, taking the hand that was still pressed to his cheek and pulling Liam behind him towards the, also green-lit, bar. “Ooh, they have  _ Wicked _ drinks.”

“You’ve been here before?” Liam was looking over the selection of bottles behind the bar.

Confusion settled over Louis’ face for a moment before a bark of laughter escaped, drawing Liam’s attention back to him. “Not wicked, mate.  _ Wicked,”  _ he said, waving his hands to indicate the theatre decor. “Emerald Elixir and White Witch.” He patted Liam’s flushed cheek as the bartender came over to them. “We’ll take one of each of these,” Louis said, pointing to the drinks.

“Lou…” Liam started.

“We have to try them at least,” he answered, batting his eyelashes with a grin. Liam just shook his head fondly and watched the bartender mix the drinks, mumbling about whiskey and beer.

Once the drinks were in front of them, Louis immediately reached for the sickeningly green drink in a martini glass. He held it up, waiting for Liam to pick up the remaining creamy looking glass. “What should we toast?” Liam asked. “To us?”

Louis shrugged and they tapped their glasses together. He watched as Liam put the glass to his lips, his nose crinkling with a stealthy sniff, before Louis whispered, “To first times,” and took a sip of his drink as Liam choked on his and whipped his head around frantically.

“Louis,” he hissed and groaned when Louis giggled and patted at his thigh while licking the sweet flavour of the drink off his lips.

“Ooh, this is good.” He shoved the drink at Liam and stole his, taking a sip and making a face. “This is…” he trailed off with a shudder.

Liam sipped at the green drink and made a face, sliding it back to Louis before turning back to the bartender. “Can I get a crown and coke, please?” The bartender laughed and quickly made the drink, taking away the White Witch and dumping it under the counter, indicating he’d take it off their tab.

By the time Liam had paid for the drinks, Louis’ drink was gone, and he was bouncing on his toes as he looked around. Liam sipped at his drink and Louis huffed at him, so he quickly finished it. Rising to his feet, he shoved a tip in the glass on the bar and trailed after Louis to their seats.  

Liam leaned over Louis’ shoulder as they looked at the program for a few moments before he excused himself. Louis watched him walk out of the theatre with a smile before his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, opening the message from Niall. There was a picture of Harry standing with Zayn talking to a quite good looking man, a beautiful chocolate lab sitting next to him. The picture was clearly taken without the subjects’ notice, and he was confused, until another message from Niall came across.  _ “Zayn’s pulling?! Maybe.” _ Louis shot back, _ “He better not be using my son to do it!” _ , groaning when all he got back was a winking emoji.

Louis startled when Liam slid back into his seat, handing over a souvenir program for the show. Louis gasped and turned his biggest smile on Liam before leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. “Thank you. You’re spoiling me.”

“Don’t get too used to it,” Liam admitted, his eyes a bit sad. “This is all those doubles I worked.”

Louis felt a tiny thrill, but a bit sad, as well, because he knew how much of a toll those long shifts had taken. “You didn’t have to do all of that just for me. I would’ve been happy with the CD.”

“Now he tells me,” Liam joked before letting his smile turn softer. “I  _ wanted _ to do this for you. I love you. You deserve the best.”

“I love you, too, and I love this.” He gestured around himself and ran a hand over the shiny program cover. “I also love just being with you at the flat, staying in and chilling.  _ You _ are the best,” he finished, leaning into Liam as he slid an arm around his shoulders, pretending to ignore the tears in each other’s eyes.

His phone buzzed again and there was another text from Niall.  _ “I think he got digits!” _

Liam read over his shoulder, apologizing when Louis looked at him, but he just waved him off and explained. He showed Liam the picture Niall had sent. “He’s blind,” Liam said simply.

“Who? Zayn?” Louis asked looking at the picture.

“No, the guy.” He pointed to the dog. “The dog has a harness on, and Harry looks like he’s crawling out of his skin wanting to pet him.” He moved to point at the guy’s face. “It’s getting dark outside and he’s got dark glasses on. He’s not looking at Zayn, his head is turned more towards the camera, but his head’s tilted towards Zayn, like he’s listening closely.” Liam shrugged when Louis turned an incredulous look on him. “One of the guys at the station’s wife is blind.”

“Do you think Zayn knows?” Louis asked, immediately feeling foolish when Liam laughed at him. “If he got his number, we know the guy isn’t into him just for his looks.” He ducked when Liam tried to smack him on the back of the head, the two of them giggling.

Louis was amazed by the play from the moment it started, but he noticed every time he turned to point something out to Liam, the other man was watching him, a fond smile on his face. When the final number of the first act finished, Louis turned to him and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Did you watch any of it?”

Liam shrugged. “I liked watching you enjoy it more. The music is really good, though.”  Louis kissed him again. “What was that for?”

“For being you,” Louis said, smiling. “Now, can we go get another one of those green things?” 

Liam laughed, pulling Louis to his feet and they walked towards the lobby, hands clasped between them. They startled when they heard someone call their names. Turning together, they smiled at the older woman who was waving at them from the row of seats they’d just passed. “Edith!” Louis exclaimed, bending to hug her and then moving out of the way for Liam to do the same.

“Boys! I’m so happy to see the two of you,” she said, smiling. “Together.” She took one of each of their hands in hers and pressed kisses to the backs. “My entire family is so jealous of the handsome men I met on the Eye.”

“My son, Harry, printed our picture and put it in his album,” Louis told her, smiling. 

“You have a son? Do you have pictures?” Edith asked, and Louis laughed when Liam had photos pulled up faster than he could. “Aren’t you a proud papa?” she asked Liam who blushed and gave Louis an unsure look.

“He is,” Louis responded, smiling and pinching Liam’s side gently. “Part of why I love him so much,” he whispered to Edith who giggled girlishly.

“He is so handsome. You three look like a proper family,” she said, finger poised to swipe to the next picture. “I’m not going to see your willies if I keep going, am I?” she asked.

“Grandma!” a woman exclaimed as she came up to them, stopping when she saw the two men. “Louis and Liam!” she said, smiling and hugging them both. “I’m Ariel, Edith’s granddaughter.”

“I remember seeing you at the Eye,” Liam said, smiling. “And, no, Edith, feel free to go through the pictures without risk of seeing something naughty.”

“Damn,” she muttered under her breath, smiling when Louis let out a bark of laughter and Ariel admonished her again.

“Grandma won’t shut up about the lovely boys she met on the Eye,” Ariel explained. “You’d think you were family the way she shows off your picture to anyone who will listen. If you’re here together, I take it the first date went well, then?”

They both nodded, smiling. “Quite well,” Liam said. “Decided I should keep him around.”

“You have to see his boy, Ariel,” Edith said waving the phone, showing off a picture of Harry, smiling wide.

“Liam, he’s gorgeous. Looks like you,” Ariel said, smiling at him, and Liam choked. “What?”

“Harry is mine,” Louis said, softly, unsure what the feeling in the pit of his stomach was. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Ariel said, her face red. “I…”

“It’s alright,” Louis said. “He resembles his mum.” Liam glanced over and Louis waved him off, wanting to get out of the conversation, but not wanting to appear rude. Thankfully, the lights blinked at that moment, giving them the perfect escape. “Looks like we’re about to start again,” he said, a forced smile on his face, reaching to hug Edith and Ariel again. “It was good seeing you, Edith. Nice to meet you, Ariel. We will have to meet up for lunch. You have our numbers, yeah?”

Edith nodded and patted his cheek while Ariel tried to apologize again. Liam waved and grasped Louis’ hand gently, allowing him the choice to let go or hold on. Louis squeezed tightly and heard Liam’s sigh of relief. They walked back to their seats. Once Liam was settled, Louis grabbed his arm and wrapped it around himself, snuggling into him as best he could with the armrest between them. He leaned up to press his nose into Liam’s neck as the lights in the house went down. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Louis,” Liam responded, tangling his free hand with one of Louis’ and squeezing.  

Louis was distracted through the rest of the play, but he still made noises in response to things happening onstage. He felt Liam’s lips pressing to his hair each time he made a sound and he felt a flush of happiness in his chest each time it happened. He tried to ignore Ariel’s words echoing in his head, tried not to let his mind return to DQ and Harry’s nameless/faceless father. He refused to let any of that ruin his night with Liam; he’d been looking forward to it for too long.

He blinked his eyes, smiling wide, when the show ended. He rose to his feet with the rest of the theatre, applauding the cast and letting out a whistle when the leads took their bows. He laughed when Liam tried to cover his mouth to keep him from whistling again. As they were leaving the theatre, they ran into Edith and Ariel again, chatting a bit about the play. Before they parted, Ariel took his hand, pulling him away from the others, apologizing again. 

“It’s really not a problem,” Louis told her, not meeting her eyes. “I’ve heard it before.”

“Did she pass?” Ariel asked. “Harry’s mum?”

Louis didn’t stop the tears; he really wanted to lie, but he couldn’t. “No. She just didn’t want to be a mother.” 

“Her loss,” Ariel said, simply. “You’ve clearly done a fantastic job of raising him. He looked so happy in that picture.” As she looked over towards Liam, Louis followed her gaze, smiling that he had his phone out and was apparently showing off more pictures. “You’ve found someone who seems to relish the idea of being his second parent. Don’t let my stupid words-” 

Louis cut her off with a laugh. “They weren’t stupid. They do have similarities, even their behaviors are starting to mirror each other with all the time they spend together,” Louis told her. “I’m not upset with you, I promise.” He looked her in the eye before pulling her into a hug. “Now, you better get your grandmother out of here before she tries to run off with my boyfriend.”

They were both laughing when they rejoined the others, and Liam’s smile crinkled his eyes shut. “We’re having lunch with Edith next weekend. She wants to meet Harry,” he told Louis. “I hope that’s alright.”

“That sounds perfect. Harry will be thrilled,” Louis said. “It’ll be great to see you again. Will you be coming, Ariel?”

“No, I’ve got to work next weekend, but maybe Grandma can bring my daughter with her to play with Harry. He’s about six?”

“He’s four, five next month,” Louis said, smiling and making a note to start planning a birthday party. “It will be nice for him to meet someone around his own age; he spends so much time with us.”

They ironed out the plans to get together before saying their goodbyes. Liam and Louis decided to find a car to take them back to the hotel instead of dealing with the metro. Once they were settled in the back of an Addison Lee, Liam turned to look at Louis. “Are you alright?” Louis nodded. “I’m sorry if people thinking Harry is mine is so upsetting,” he whispered, and Louis looked over at him, surprised to see tears in Liam’s eyes. “I guess it didn’t bother me because you’re mine, yeah?” Louis nodded, his voice still not cooperating. “So, I guess I thought that made Harry kind of mine, as well. You’re my boys.” Liam’s voice kept getting quieter.

“Oh, Liam,” Louis said, his voice tight. “It wasn’t that, not at all.” Louis put his hands on Liam’s cheeks, forcing their gazes to meet. “You’re my and Harry’s best mate, you know that.” Liam nodded. “I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone I’ve dated, and Harry loves you to bits, too.” Liam nodded again. “If someone thinks that Harry is your son, it’s not a bad thing.” Liam looked doubtful, opening his mouth like he was going to argue; Louis slid a hand over his lips. “It just threw me for a bit of a loop because no one tells me that we look alike. He just looks so much like his mother.” Louis frowned as he thought about DQ again. Her green eyes that looked back at him whenever he looked at his son. Her hair had been straight and red, Louis always wondered if Harry took after his father with his chestnut hair and curls. He wiped at his eyes as he saw DQ’s face overlaid with Harry’s, all the ways they matched up. “Just like his mum, except for the hair.”

Liam pulled Louis into his lap. Louis used his thumb to pull Liam’s lip from between his teeth, where he was close to drawing blood. “You never say her name,” Liam said, kissing the tip of Louis’ thumb. “Like, ever.”

Louis shrugged. “I try to forget about her. I struggle to forgive her for what she did to Harry.” Liam nodded, but his eyes were still questioning, and Louis felt the desire to tell him the whole story, but feared, as soon as he did, he would lose everything. Harry. Liam. Everything. “I promise to tell you, yeah? Just-” he trailed off and pressed his lips to Liam’s birthmark before burying his face in his neck. “Just not tonight. Tonight is about us,” he whispered against Liam’s skin.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson knew that he’d found the person to tell the whole truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLf6)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GLf6))


	23. Chapter 23 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!!!!!
> 
> A tad longer than normal chapter this week, but you'll understand why!!!
> 
> Have a good rest of the week! See you next Monday!!!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis snuggled into Liam, a bit of a relief coming from his decision to tell Liam the truth about Harry, even if he didn’t know when he’d actually be able to bring himself to do it. Liam sighed and pressed a kiss to Louis’ forehead. “You don’t have to tell me, unless you want to,” he reassured. “We can drop the subject for tonight and always. You’ve always been Harry’s only parent to me anyway.”

Louis couldn’t help thinking Harry had another parent sitting right there with him. Liam had stepped into the role pretty much since the first day he’d walked into their lives in his fireman uniform. Louis licked his lips as he remembered admiring Liam’s biceps that day. He shifted in Liam’s lap, drawing a confused look from the other man.  

“What is going through your mind?” Liam asked cautiously, his eyes following Louis’ tongue as it made another swipe across his lip.

“You didn’t pack your uniform did you?” Louis asked, and Liam shook his head, laughing. “Damn.”

“Noted for future reference, though,” Liam whispered as he leaned in and took Louis’ earlobe gently between his teeth. He ran his tongue gently over the abused skin before continuing his low whisper. “You know, Valentine’s Day is next month.” A low moan escaped Louis at the thought, unstoppable once the images started filling his head. “Then, maybe, one night, we can play teacher and student.” Liam breathed out a quiet moan at his own words.

Louis’ eyes widened. “We’ve already established you are not a-”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t fuck the teacher. You’re a power bottom and you know it,” Liam hissed, nipping at his earlobe again.

Louis put a hand to Liam’s chest, pushing him back slightly. “If you don’t stop that, I’m going to come in my pants before we get back,” he gasped out, trying to catch his breath.

Liam raised his eyebrows as he leaned in again and nipped at Louis’ neck, suckling gently, chuckling when Louis tried to push him away again. “I fail to see the bad in that plan,” Liam growled, taking both of Louis’ wrists in one of his hands and holding them against Louis’ waist. 

“The driver might disagree,” Louis spoke around a giggle as he half-heartedly struggled against Liam’s hold. 

Liam let out a loud laugh, his eyes crinkling shut as he released Louis’ hands and pulled him into a tight cuddle, nipping at his neck, playfully this time. They continued to trade playful kisses until the car pulled up in front of their hotel and the driver cleared his throat. Louis climbed out while Liam paid the driver, laughing when the man gave them a large smile and told them, “Be safe, boys.”

Liam followed Louis into the hotel. Louis nodded at the doorman before feeling Liam curl their hands together and squeeze gently. Louis smiled up at him, his eyes shiny and his heart beating rapidly. They didn’t talk as they waited for the lift with another group of people. Once they were all loaded, Louis was disappointed that everyone was going to higher floors than theirs; he’d been hoping for a cheeky lift snog. He was surprised when Liam reached over and pressed the second to top floor instead of their third floor. When he glanced over, he got a patented two-eye wink.

The lift emptied slowly, and then, finally, they were alone in the lift. Liam reached over to press the “3”. Louis opened his mouth to question, but his words were lost as Liam pressed him against the doors of the lift and covered Louis’ mouth with his own. Liam’s right hand trailed up and tangled into Louis’ hair, holding him in place as Liam moved from his mouth to his ear and nibbled, his breath warm over the dampened skin. “Never properly snogged you in a lift before,” Liam said, returning to Louis’ mouth for a quick kiss before pulling away when a ding sounded to announce their floor. Liam reached out to catch Louis by the front of his jacket when the doors opened, and Louis almost fell through them into an elderly couple that had been waiting.

“I’m so sorry,” Louis stammered as the couple glared at him before getting on the lift, the doors closing around a nasty comment from the gentleman. Louis flipped off the doors with a huff, refusing to let a stuffy old prat ruin his night.

Louis grabbed for Liam’s hand and pulled him towards the room, giving a huff when Liam wouldn’t budge. He looked back and saw a smile twisting Liam’s lips. He opened his mouth to tease him, but the words turned into a squeak when Liam reached out and tossed Louis over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and started to stride towards the door. The hand not holding Louis steady to his shoulder reached into the back pocket of Louis’ trousers and pulled out the key card before smacking the cheek lightly and earning another squeak from Louis.

“Like that, eh?” Liam teased. “I’ll have to remember that for later.” With minimal struggle, Liam got the door open and carried Louis through, pausing long enough to throw the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the outside and locking the chain behind them.  

“Are you going to put me down?” Louis asked as Liam strolled deeper into the room and started to kick his shoes off before reaching to remove Louis’ from his dangling feet.

“Thought the fireman thing turned you on?” he asked, moving across the room and flipping Louis off his shoulder and onto the bed before moving to straddle his legs, holding him in place. “Isn’t that why you wondered if I’d packed my uniform for an overnight getaway?” he teased as he shrugged off his jacket, pulling his tie off as well, tossing them towards one of the chairs in the room before starting on the buttons of his shirt. “Wanted to play a bit, pretend the big, strong fireman rescued you and then fucked you against the wall?” Liam’s voice was low and steady, and Louis felt himself growing even harder from his words; quite a feat since he’d been pretty much rock-solid since they’d gotten out of the car. Liam’s dress shirt flew in the direction of his jacket and tie.

Louis reached a hand out to tug at Liam’s undershirt, trying to pull him down to kiss him, but Liam brushed his hand away before pulling the shirt over his head. Louis pushed himself up on one elbow and reached out again to run a hand over Liam’s abs, his fingers shaking in anticipation.

Liam opened his mouth, nothing but a soft sigh escaping as Louis’ fingers tickled over his skin. Louis wiggled a bit to sit up enough to press his lips to Liam’s chest, a moan escaping him as Liam’s scent - cologne, sweat, pure man - overwhelmed him. He parted his lips to tease his tongue over Liam’s chest before moving to one of his nipples and circling it with the tip of his tongue, feeling it perking up. After a moment of attention, Louis nipped with his teeth, enjoying Liam’s gasp of surprise and the fingers that tangled in his hair. Louis chuckled when it seemed like Liam couldn’t decide if he wanted to push Louis closer or pull him off.

Louis continued to pay attention to Liam’s chest, allowing Liam’s fingers in his hair to guide him, as Louis pulled his own tie off before moving to his buttons. Once he pulled off his jacket and shirt, he thought about the tie and using it on Liam, putting himself at a bit of an advantage over the larger man, but then Liam pulled his head back to look at him. Louis dropped the tie. “Another time,” Liam hissed, reading Louis’ mind again, and Louis nodded, looking up at Liam through his lashes.

Liam moved his hand from Louis’ hair to his chest, gently pushing him back against the bed before laying over him, hips still trapped between his thighs while he leaned on his elbows on either side of Louis’ head. He pressed a kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose, bringing a giggle to his lips. “You’re sure, yeah? “ Liam asked, his voice and eyes soft.

Louis arched up to kiss Liam, running his tongue along the swell of his lower lip before being allowed access to deepen the kiss, trying to erase all of Liam’s worries about Louis’ desire with one kiss. When they broke apart, Liam’s eyes were black, and he ground his hips down against Louis, their erections rubbing together and creating a stronger burn than Louis remembered ever feeling before. Louis worked his hands down between them to undo Liam’s trousers and slid his hand inside, running it over Liam’s length. He slid a steady hand down to cup his balls, squeezing gently as Liam groaned and dropped down, crushing Louis beneath him.

Louis chuckled, pressing his teeth against the tendon along Liam’s neck, sucking gently as he continued to caress Liam. When Liam’s breathing sped up, his breath hot and fast against Louis’ neck, he slid his hand out of Liam’s pants and began to work open his own trousers. He wiggled out from underneath Liam, smiling as Liam rolled over onto his back, already looking debauched, shirtless with his trousers undone, his cock peeking out the top of his pants. Louis licked his lips as he crawled off the bed to undo his trousers, letting them fall to the floor. He stepped out of them and crossed to his bag, reaching in and pulling out lube and a couple of condoms.

When Louis turned back to the bed, he stopped to stare. Liam had moved, removing the rest of his clothing, so that he was lying completely naked against the headboard, his knees bent, legs spread as he stroked his cock. He licked his lips as his eyes trailed over Louis, who had yet to move. Chuckling, Liam crooked a finger, gesturing Louis to come closer. With a smile and a giggle, Louis leapt onto the bed, landing on all fours, tossing the supplies onto the pillow next to Liam. With a shake of his head, Liam leaned forward and pulled Louis into his lap, covering Louis’ mouth with his own while pushing Louis’ pants down over his arse and grasping one cheek firmly. Louis’ moan was swallowed by Liam’s demanding mouth, and he felt himself melting into Liam.

Liam’s hands continued to move over and squeeze Louis’ bum, pulling him closer, forcing them to rub against each other. Louis had to pull out of the kiss to breathe, burying his face in Liam’s neck, smacking weakly at his chest when Liam chuckled. “S’not funny,” Louis muttered, pulling back to look up at him, shocked again by the shine of love in the other man’s eyes. He nipped at Liam’s lower lip before sinking back into a kiss, running one of his hands down Liam’s chest, making no secret of his destination. Liam stopped him with one hand, moving Louis’ hand back up to his chest.

“You touch me and this will be over before it begins, love,” Liam murmured, finally grabbing the lube and opening it to coat his fingers.

“I’ve already come today,” Louis whispered, nibbling at Liam’s earlobe, trying to pretend he wasn’t holding his breath in anticipation.

“And you’ll come again,” Liam said, reaching his hands behind Louis, his dry hand spreading his cheeks while Liam circled a slick finger around Louis’ opening. “And again.” Louis tried to point out that Liam hadn’t come yet, but gasped out instead when Liam entered him with two fingers and froze. “Shit,” Liam said, his voice completely void of sexy growl, instead slightly panicked. “Too much. I thought, because of earlier, you would-”

Louis quieted Liam with his lips, pressing back against his fingers, forcing them deeper inside himself. The stretch was there, but not unpleasant; he’d really just been surprised. It only took a couple of swivels of Louis’ hips for Liam to relax and begin moving his fingers, twisting and spreading, rubbing against Louis’ smooth walls, never quite brushing his prostate. Louis whimpered and nipped at Liam’s lower lip when he realized Liam was teasing him, not just being incompetent.

“More,” Louis begged, hating how desperate he sounded, but he knew how big Liam was, he knew he needed more prep, but he also knew he really wanted to feel Liam inside him. 

Liam pressed kisses along Louis’ jaw to his neck, biting and then sucking sharply on a spot that would easily be covered by Louis’ shirts. When Louis gasped and slid himself up Liam’s fingers, he was surprised by the third finger he slid back down onto, feeling the extra stretch and catching a breath in his chest.

Louis’ head fell backwards as he moved himself on Liam’s fingers, trying to force them against his bundle of nerves, growling lowly every time he got close and Liam would pull his fingers out. Liam chuckled, “Yes, kitten?” Louis smacked his chest. “Well, that’s what you sound like when you growl at me, a pissed off little kitten.”

“If I’m a kitten, you’re a puppy with those eyes and all,” Louis hissed, starting to rock faster, words becoming more difficult the closer he felt himself getting to another orgasm.

A wicked smirk crossed Liam’s face as he wrapped an arm tightly around Louis’ waist, holding him still. “Woof,” Liam whispered as he jabbed his fingers deep and pressed the tips against Louis’ prostate. It only took a couple of moments of pressure before Louis came with a howl all over Liam’s chest, collapsing against him with a whimper when he was done.

Louis panted against Liam’s shoulder, whimpering as Liam withdrew his fingers, holding Louis against his chest. He whispered gentle words into Louis’ ears, chuckling when a weak hand slapped his chest when he called him ‘kitten’ again. After a few minutes, when Louis’ breathing returned to normal, but he could still feel his heart pounding, he looked up at Liam with a sleepy smile.

“Ready for bed?” Liam asked, chewing his lower lip, prompting Louis to lean forward to kiss him as he reached a hand down between them. Liam hissed when Louis wrapped his hand around him. Louis knew that even as sleepy as he was, he didn’t want this night to end without feeling Liam fill him up for the first time.

“We’re already in bed,” Louis whispered, running his hand gently up and down Liam’s shaft, enjoying the feel of Liam’s moans against his mouth as they continued to kiss. Louis felt the hitch in Liam’s breathing and a twitch in his cock, knowing the other man was close to coming. He stopped the movement of his hand. “How do you-” he started to ask, breaking off into a laugh when Liam moved suddenly to flip them over on the bed so that he was hovering above Louis. 

Liam pressed a quick kiss to Louis’ lips before reaching for one of the condoms that was laying on the bed near Louis’ head. Louis watched as Liam tore the packet open with his teeth and slowly pulled the condom out before sliding it onto himself, his breath catching as he reached for more lube to slick himself up.

Louis reached for Liam as he moved back between his legs, needing another kiss before they took this huge step in their relationship. He wasn’t hesitating, he was celebrating feeling this close to someone again. Not even again; he’d never been as in love with someone as he was with Liam. Liam broke off the kiss and Louis let his upper-half fall back against the pillows as he felt Liam brush his tip over Louis’ opening.

“Shhhhh, relax,” Liam whispered as he started to push in and Louis tensed slightly. Liam stretched to press a kiss to the tip of Louis’ nose. Louis locked eyes with him, taking a deep breath and letting it out. He felt himself start to relax, allowing Liam to slide deeper, never breaking eye contact, not even to blink. After what seemed an eternity, but was probably only a matter of seconds, Liam was pressed against Louis, completely filling him and stealing his breath as they both gasped out, “I love you,” in unison.

Louis let the feeling of being as physically close to Liam as possible wash over him, allowing him to wait out the bit of pain until it faded into a desire for more. He shifted his hips slightly, butting his head against Liam’s shoulder when he chuckled at the movement.

Louis opened his mouth to order Liam to move, but it turned into a long, low moan as Liam pulled all the way out, pushing back in at only a slightly faster pace than he had originally. He repeated the movement, picking up speed on each inward thrust, pulling small huffs from Louis until Liam pushed in at just the right angle. “Liam,” Louis yelped, reaching up to tangle his hands in Liam’s hair to pull his face down into a hard kiss, teeth clacking.

The kiss became the focus of their movements as Liam’s hips slowed to a grinding motions, his cock rubbing against Louis’ prostate, stuttering their breaths. Louis pulled back when oxygen became a necessity, nipping at Liam’s lower lip before wrapping his legs around Liam’s waist, trying to lock his ankles as he rocked his hips upwards to encourage Liam to begin moving again.  

Liam raised his eyebrows at Louis, completely stilling his hips and quickly catching Louis’ hand before he managed a sneaky nipple twist. Louis tried with the other hand, and, when Liam tried to stop him, he ended up dropping down completely atop Louis. They both oofed at that, Liam using Louis’ distraction to pull out and back onto his knees between Louis’ legs.

Louis started to protest, but Liam just grabbed him around the waist, pulling him up to straddle his legs and then slipping back so Liam was lying flat on the bed, with Louis above him. Once Liam was settled, he released Louis and moved his hands behind his head, his biceps bulging with the movement. Louis wiped at his chin to be sure he wasn’t drooling as he gave Liam a confused look.

“You seem to want to set the pace,“ Liam said, smirking and attempting to wink. “So, have at it!” He nodded towards his cock, his smirk growing into a full-blown, crinkly-eyed smile when Louis threw his head back to laugh. 

It only took a few moments for Louis’ laughter to end, and he leaned over to kiss Liam again, reaching behind himself to guide Liam back inside. Once he was seated completely upon his cock, feeling full in a completely different way, he leaned forward to put his hands on Liam’s elbows to hold him against the bed. Liam smiled, puckering his lips to blow a kiss at Louis.

Louis swiveled his hips, closing his eyes at the feeling when it was Liam’s turn to gasp. Louis swiveled again before lifting himself up to the tip and dropping back down onto Liam, moaning low at the feeling. “Feels s’good,” Louis whispered as he repeated the movement. He kept bouncing, building up a rhythm that felt great and adjusting his body until he had Liam hitting him just right. He’d already come twice that day and was fairly certain a third time would be out of his reach, but he needed to make Liam feel as good as he’d been making him feel.

Louis’ eyes flew open when he felt one of Liam’s arms move out of his grasp with ease to come to rest a hand on his hip. He felt Liam’s legs moving until they were bent and Louis could lean back against them. He looked down to see Liam’s lower lip between his teeth and his eyes blown black with lust as Liam jerked his hips into Louis, throwing him forward against his chest. Liam moved his free hand between their bodies and gripped Louis’ cock in a gentle, yet firm, grasp. “M’close,” he muttered, his voice thick as he continued to pound up into Louis. 

Louis let Liam use him to reach his finish, clenching his muscles to help him along, trying to press back into Liam, but being thrown off by the strength of Liam’s thrusts. Louis buried his face in Liam’s neck, teeth nipping at his collarbone as he felt a familiar tingle inside. “C’mon, Li,” he whispered into the bite mark he’d left.

“You first,” Liam hissed as he sped up the hand on Louis, but Louis shook his head. “One more time. One more time for me, love.” Louis shook his head again, but Liam was insistent as he used one hand to pull Louis down hard onto his cock while his other hand flew over him, pulling out a few very weak spurts. As soon as Louis was finished, Liam moved his sticky hand to Louis’ other hip and pounded up into him. One. Two. Three times, before stilling and coming with a roar.  

Once Liam’s body relaxed into the bed, Louis climbed off, gently removing the condom and tying it off before tossing it into the bin closest to the bed. He padded into the bathroom, returning with a wet cloth, cleaning off Liam’s hand and chest before cleaning himself off and tossing the cloth across the room, uncaring of where it landed.

He crawled into the bed and curled up next to Liam, his head on his chest, listening as his heart rate slowed down.  After a few minutes, he felt Liam’s chest vibrating before he heard the chuckle. “What?”

“Just happy,” Liam said, wrapping his arms around Louis and holding him tightly. “So worth the wait,” he whispered before placing a kiss on Louis’ hair. 

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson knew he would never forget his first time with Liam James Payne.


	24. Chapter 24 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments (and Happy Independence Day to my American readers).
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis’ dreams were filled with Liam; happy, fluffy, domestic dreams. Everyday tasks made better by the presence of Liam at his side. He even dreamt about sitting at his dining room table, bills stacked on top, their ankles locked together beneath. At one point, the dreams took a different turn, and Louis swore he could feel Liam’s hands on him, his mouth, kisses and nips traveling over his chest. Hands on his hips. Warm, wet mouth sliding - 

Louis gasped awake and looked down at a crinkly-eyed, obscene-lipped Liam swallowing his cock. Louis’ hands flailed for a moment before he gripped Liam’s hair, trying desperately not to thrust up into the heat. He bit his lip to hold back his moans until Liam got his attention with a quick pinch to his hip and a slight headshake.

Louis stopped holding back his sounds and, when Liam released his hips with a tap and an imploring look, Louis hoped he wasn’t misreading the message. He shifted his hips up slightly. Liam rolled his eyes, seeming to say,  _ you can do better than that _ , causing Louis to laugh before snapping his hips upwards, hitting the back of Liam’s throat.

Liam’s moan took him by surprise as the vibrations traveled upwards, dragging a pleased sigh out of Louis. He continued the movements of his hips, using Liam’s mouth to chase his own orgasm. He had to stop watching his cock disappearing between those gorgeous lips before this was over too soon. He closed his eyes, arching his neck, fighting off the impending release. He lost the battle when he felt a slick digit slip into his hole. He came hard and without warning.

The apology was on his lips as he scrambled to sit up, watching Liam sputter and swipe at his face, eyes closed and lashes coated. Louis knew his apology didn’t sound terribly sincere through his laughter, but he couldn’t help himself.

“My fault,” Liam said, voice rough, through a smile.

Louis sat up, enjoying the twinge of a reminder in his backside, and cradled Liam’s face before pressing their lips together, tasting himself. Liam whimpered and pulled him closer, rubbing his erection desperately against Louis.

“Why don’t we get cleaned up, and I’ll take care of that for you,” Louis said when the kiss broke. Liam scrambled off the bed, grabbing for Louis who wrapped himself around Liam, laughing. They kissed as they made their way into the bathroom, bouncing off the door frame.

After an adventurous shower and a leisurely brunch, Louis began to feel antsy to get back home to Harry. He didn’t want to say anything at risk of making Liam think he hadn’t enjoyed himself; he’d honestly had an amazing time and was sorry to see it end. At the same time, he really missed his son. Liam carried their luggage to the car, loading the boot before climbing in next to Louis who was flipping his phone distractedly in his hands.

“This was fun,” Louis said, smiling at Liam before leaning over to press a kiss to his lips. “Thank you for the greatest birthday gift ever.”

“Thank you for the best weekend ever,” Liam whispered, pressing a hand to Louis’ cheek and running his thumb over his cheekbone. “I love you…”

Louis noticed the trailed off sentence and furrowed his brow in confusion. “But?” Liam blushed and tried to look away, but Louis pinched his chin between his thumb and forefinger and forced him to look at him. “You love me, but…?”

“I miss Hareball,” Liam said, closing his eyes and giving Louis the opportunity to press a kiss to each of his eyelids before moving to his mouth. 

“I miss him, too,” Louis said when Liam’s eyes finally reopened. “Why would you be embarrassed?”

“I didn’t know how you would feel knowing your son was on my mind all weekend,” Liam explained. “Is always on my mind, really.”

Louis took a moment to think about Liam’s words, wanting to respond in a way that wouldn’t make him more embarrassed than he already was by the admission. “Just another reason for me to love you even more than I already do, which I didn’t think was possible.” It was Louis’ turn to glance away in embarrassment.

Liam’s eyes were damp when Louis finally looked up after several moments of silence. Louis opened his mouth, but no words came to mind, and Liam just shook his head for a second before smiling wide and pulling Louis in for a kiss. The kiss lasted several minutes, remaining sweet. Louis ended it before it had a chance to venture into something more. 

“We should probably get going so we can see our boy,” Louis said, loving the smile that brought to Liam’s face. After Liam had started the car and pulled into traffic, he reached over and laid his hand on Louis’ thigh. Louis smiled and tangled his fingers with Liam’s, squeezing gently, and feeling the wonderful sense of returning home.

Once they’d pulled into the carpark, Liam grabbed their garment bags while Louis grabbed both duffles, smiling with the assumption that Liam would be staying the night. Once Liam hit the locks on the car doors, they exchanged a look and both set off running towards the building, laughing; Louis yelling it was unfair because his bags were heavier and Liam teasing that he could carry him and the bags and still beat him there. Somehow, they managed to arrive at the door to the flat at the same time, and Louis barely had the door unlocked before it was being pulled open.

“Daddo!” Harry screamed and threw himself at Louis’ knees. Louis dropped the duffles and scooped the boy into his arms, smothering him with kisses while he laughed and giggled. Louis felt another set of arms wrap around him from behind, encompassing him and Harry; he buried his smile in Harry’s neck when he heard the fake shutter of a phone’s camera.

“Pay-o,” Harry said, stretching to plant a kiss on Liam’s cheek.

“Hareball, missed you,” Liam whispered, running a hand through the boy’s curls and smiling brightly at him.

“Miss you, too. Miss Daddo!” Harry said, squeezing one more time before fussing to be put down and disappearing towards the kitchen.

Niall greeted them both with hugs and a quick rundown on how the weekend had gone. He also let them know that Zayn may or may not be making it to Lad’s Night because he had a date with his mystery man. Louis had a moment of uneasiness, realizing this was the first time one of them had ever missed a Sunday, but quickly shook it off in favour of happiness for Zayn going on an actual date and not just a random hookup. He shot off a quick text to Zayn wishing him luck and telling him he was more than welcome to bring the new man over to meet them. Liam watched over his shoulder and then shot off his own text to Zayn promising they would all behave if he did bring the guy by.

“What do we know…” Louis trailed off as he saw Harry struggling to carry a cake on a platter into the living room. “Careful, Hazza.”

Harry beamed as he made it to the coffee table and set the cake down. “Unca Ni-All and me baked a cake!” Harry said proudly, showing off the dessert with a game show worthy flourish.

“It looks delicious,” Liam said, praising Harry as he knelt by the table and tried to swipe a finger through the frosting, laughing when Harry stopped him. Louis watched Liam grab Harry’s hand and force his finger through the frosting instead, laughing at the traumatized look on Harry’s face until Liam licked the icing off the boy’s finger, making him giggle instead.

“You didn’t have to bake us a cake,” Louis said, filled with affection for his son. And his friend. And his boyfriend. And the whole world, really.

“Unca Ni-All told Unca Zed it was ‘glad you lay down’ cake,” Harry said, proudly, his face becoming confused when Niall choked, and Louis and Liam both reached over to smack him.

“A ‘glad you got laid’ cake, really?” Louis hissed once he’d dragged Niall into the kitchen and away from Harry who was asking Liam what he’d said wrong. Louis watched as Liam tried to assure the boy he did nothing wrong while trying to hold back laughter.

“I didn’t know he heard me!” Niall protested, covering his head when Louis started to smack him again. “I’m sorry! I’ll never speak again!”

Harry came racing across the room and scrambled up Niall’s body to cover his head. “No hit, Daddo! No hit!” he shrieked at the same time Niall shouted out, “I’m not a tree, Little Man!”

“Sorry, Hazza. Niall and I were just goofing around, right, Niall?” Louis gave Niall a pointed look, prompting the blond to quickly agree with his friend. Harry gave them both a suspicious look before adjusting himself into a koala hug with Niall and leaning his head on his shoulder.

“Love you, Unca Ni-All.”

“Love you, too, Little Man,” Niall told him, mouthing “Sorry” to Louis over Harry’s head. Louis just shook his head, finally allowing himself to see the humour in the situation. He reached into the drawer to grab a knife and forks while Niall and Harry grabbed plates. They settled around the coffee table, and Liam started slicing up the cake.

The cake was almost half-gone and the four of them were lounging around on the sofa, limbs tangled together, watching  _ Toy Story  _ when there was a knock at the door. They exchanged looks before saying together, “Zayn.”

Liam untangled himself and strode over to answer the door. Louis watched him walk away, admiring the view and the warm glow that filled him as he thought about how at home Liam seemed to feel in his and Harry’s flat. Liam opened the door with a, “‘Bout time you showed up, ya wank- Oh!” 

Louis hopped to his feet, alert to someone other than their group being at the door, surprised when he heard Zayn’s laugh. “Yeah, sorry about that, mate. This is Spencer.”

Harry’s head shot up. “Sir?” he called out and started to climb off the couch. Louis could feel the excitement thrumming from Harry’s body and was surprised when the boy walked slowly towards the door. “Sir!” He squealed again and then quietly. “Can I?” Louis heard a quiet answer from behind Zayn and then saw Harry move next to grasp Zayn’s sleeve. “Hi, Argos,” he said very properly before grinning up at Zayn who smiled down at him with a nod.    

Harry then attempted to pull Zayn into the apartment, but Zayn leaned down to whisper to him, and Harry nodded before heading into the kitchen and looking into the cupboards. He pulled out a bowl and tried to climb on the sink before Niall got up to help him. By the time Louis turned his attention towards the door, it was shut and Liam was talking to Zayn and another lad, the one from the picture the night before.

Louis stood and moved forward, smiling at Zayn and giving a curious look to the dark-haired man next to him. “Lou, this is Spencer,” Zayn said, smiling. Louis took Spencer’s outstretched hand and shook it.

“Nice to meet you, Spencer.”

“You as well,” he responded, his voice soft and smooth. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Zayn. All of you.”

“And you decided to come anyway?” Niall asked, startling everyone as he followed Harry, who was carrying a large bowl of water, back over.

“Irish. Niall,” Spencer said, smiling in the direction Niall’s voice had come from.

“I got water for Argos, Sir,” Harry said, politely and Louis was beginning to wonder if ‘Sir’ was actually his name for Spencer and not just general manners.

“Thanks, Pup,” Spencer responded before reaching for the dog’s harness and releasing it.  The dog bumped Spencer’s leg and then walked over to Harry, giving a lick to the boy’s face, making him giggle. 

Louis moved away from the sofa. “Take a seat,” he said and watched as Zayn helped Spencer over and then sat beside him. “Did you want something to drink? A piece of cake?”

“The ‘Glad you got…’ cake?” Spencer asked with a laugh, and Louis was thankful he’d trailed over the phrase. “No. Thank you, though. We just had dinner.”

“Where’d he take you?” Liam asked, from his spot on the floor, one hand ruffling Argos’ ears while the dog laid watching his owner. Spencer and Zayn took some time to talk about dinner at the Indian place they sometimes got takeaway from. “So, how did he convince you to come over here?”

“Well, I met Harry last night and Argos hasn’t shut up about the lad since.” Harry’s grin was bright as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the dog’s head.

“I loves Argos, Sir!” Harry shouted and then threw his hands over his mouth. “Sorry,” he whispered after he dropped his hands.

“It’s alright, Pup,” Spencer told him, holding a hand out. Harry looked to Louis, who shrugged, before taking Spencer’s hand and crawling onto the couch between him and Zayn. “Did you tell your Dad and Papa ”

“Papa?” Harry interrupted. Louis and Liam were looking at each other while Harry’s face furled in confusion. 

Zayn leaned over Harry and whispered in Spencer’s ear, bringing a flush to the man’s cheeks. “Shit, I’m sorry,” he said, then slapped a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, again.” 

“You say bad word,” Harry admonished, but he seemed distracted. The silence went on, the only sound that of Argos drinking out of the water bowl and Niall’s fingers flying furiously over his phone; Louis wondered if he was giving Sunny a play-by-play of the action of Lad’s Night.

Louis watched as Harry got up from the ground and disappeared towards the bedroom, Liam moving to lean against Louis’ leg, but staying on the floor. He reached up and brushed his fingers over Louis’ hands, letting out a breath when Louis tangled their fingers together, squeezing when Harry came back into the room with his photo album and camera. He set the album in Spencer’s lap, who ran his fingers over it before slipping it open and touching the first page, smiling in Harry’s direction. 

“Photos?” he asked.

“Yes,” Harry whispered. “I knows you no see. That me and Daddo. I baby.” Spencer nodded and turned the page. Harry stood and described every picture, while Louis watched Spencer’s face. He could see a twist of confusion to his lips, but there was a smile for his son and responses at all of the right times. When they got to the end of the filled pages, Harry raised his camera and pointed it at Spencer and Zayn. “Smile,” he said, snapping a picture and then taking the book and disappearing into the bedroom.

Once his footsteps had faded, Louis cleared his throat, and Spencer turned towards him a bit. “I’m sorry,” he said, quietly. “I don’t know why I assumed...based on what Zayn told me about you…”

Louis laid a hand on the other man’s arm, startling him slightly. “It’s alright. Believe it or not, it’s not the first time Liam’s been mistaken for Harry’s other dad. I’m not bothered.”

“Thanks,” Spencer said as Harry came back into the room and crawled into Zayn’s lap for a cuddle. “Thank you for showing me your photos, Pup. You described them perfectly for me. Maybe you can describe some of Zayn’s artwork to me one day, yeah?” 

The rest of the evening passed quickly, Spencer telling them all that Zayn never shut up about the group of them and that he felt like he knew them before he’d even come over. Niall let slip that they weren’t used to Zayn dating and a scuffle broke out, causing Louis and Spencer to fall into each other laughing while Harry and Liam tried to break it up. When it was time to go, Harry gave Argos a hug before Spencer reattached the harness.  

“I hug you, Sir?” Harry asked, looking up at Spencer who nodded, smiling as Harry wrapped his arms around his waist. “You go bye-bye. You come back.”

Spencer chuckled as he ran a hand over Harry’s hair. “I think that’s up to your Uncle Zayn, Pup.”

Harry pulled away, putting his hands on his hips, glaring at Zayn. “He come back, Unca Zed.”

Zayn held his hands up in mock surrender. “Whatever you say, Sprout.”

Louis pulled Zayn away from the group, excusing them while they chatted. “Do I need to give you supplies this time? A lecture about being safe?” He was surprised to see a blush cross Zayn’s face. 

“I, er, like, don’t think…” Zayn trailed off, rubbing a finger against his eyebrow and not meeting Louis’ gaze.  

“Shit,” Louis muttered. “Hazza’s gonna be heartbroken.”

“What?!”

“If you and Spencer don’t see each other again,” Louis snapped. “Maybe next time, don’t bring someone around until you’re-”

“No!” Zayn snapped. “It’s not that,” he continued, quieter **,** and Louis wondered if everyone was watching them from the other room. “The opposite actually.” Louis raised his eyebrows in unspoken question. “I, like, really like him and think that I, like, don’t want to…” He made a vulgar motion with his hands, causing Louis to gasp and smack at him, hoping Harry didn’t see and would be repeating it. “Yet.”

“Wow,” Louis breathed out, surprised. “That’s really great, Zee.” He grabbed him into a hug. “My little boy is growing up.”

They laughed before joining the others and finishing out their goodbyes. Niall left behind Zayn and Spencer, his laughter echoing down the hall. Once the door was closed behind them, Louis scooped Harry up into a hug, listening to him go on and on about Spencer and Argos and how much he liked them and how he hoped Zayn liked them, too. Louis’ smile was soft as he saw Liam moving through the flat, cleaning up from the cake and their drinks. His mind went back to the domestic dreams he’d had that morning.

He was tucking Harry into bed after a quick story when he realized that Harry hadn’t forgotten about Spencer’s comment from earlier. “Is Pay-o Papa?” he asked, softly, eyes wide and hand on Louis’ cheek.

“What?” Louis choked out as Liam joined them in the room, a warm palm ghosting over Louis’ back as he stood on the ladder, his heart in his throat.

“Sir say, ‘Daddo and Papa’,” Harry explained. He pointed at Louis. “Daddo.” Then he pointed at Liam. “Pay-o.” Louis nodded. “Daddo and Pay-o. Is Pay-o Papa?”

“Do you think he’s Papa?” Louis finally managed to ask, watching his son’s face as the boy looked over the edge of his bed at Liam, who was staying very quiet.

“No. He Pay-o,” Harry finally said. “Loves him as Pay-o,” he continued. “Loves you, Pay-o.”

“Love you, too, Hareball,” Liam whispered, pulling himself up behind Louis to press a kiss to Harry’s forehead, smiling when Harry returned the gesture.

Once Harry was settled and talking quietly to FroggieDoggie, Louis and Liam went back out into the living room. Liam sat on the couch, pulling Louis into his lap, moving around until they were lying down, spooned together. Liam pressed a kiss to the side of Louis’ head. “He seems nice.”

“Zayn really likes him.” Louis told Liam about their discussion and could feel him nodding behind him. “Guess that means the walls will be quiet for awhile.” They fell silent when they heard footsteps out in the hallway. They paused outside the door, but then continued on and they heard Zayn’s door open and shut. A few moments later, the sound of Zayn crawling into bed was followed by a quiet tap-tap-tap-tap on the wall and a whispered, “Night.”

Louis untangled himself from Liam and walked over to return the gesture, smiling to himself as he returned to the open arms of the man he loved on the couch, his son sleeping in the next room and one of his best friends on the verge of something wonderful. His lips met Liam’s for a brief kiss before snuggling back into his arms to discuss the week ahead.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that his life was exactly what he wanted it to be.


	25. Chapter 25 - January 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Life fell back into the normal routine, and, if Liam spent the night more often than not, no one commented. Louis certainly grew used to waking up next to Liam and missed it on the mornings he was still at the firehouse. He’d finally made Liam his own key, but Liam still knocked before letting himself in, unless it was the middle of the night and he knew his boys would be sleeping. There were many mornings that Niall would send pictures of Liam and Harry curled up together in bed, sleeping, when he arrived. Louis would always feel that happy twinge in his heart as he looked at the pictures.

The first time Louis actually visited the house that Liam and Niall shared- a house that was owned by Liam’s parents originally, but had been given to him when he’d been hired by the London Fire Department- was for Zayn’s birthday. They’d decided to surprise him with a big party that included their families and some of Zayn’s other friends. Spencer agreed to keep him occupied by convincing Zayn to take him and Harry to the park for the day, allowing the others to get everything ready in peace.

Louis stood in the front room of the house, smiling when he noticed a framed picture of the five of them setting on the end table; it had been taken at Louis’ mum’s home on his birthday, and they all looked extremely happy. He was running his fingers over the picture frame when Liam joined him, handing over a beer. Louis started thinking about how much he could drink and still be able to drive himself and Harry home after the party.

“If you want…” Liam started, trailing off when Louis’ eyes met his. “If you wanted to stay here tonight, you and Hareball, you can. You can bunk in with me and he can sleep in the spare room. Or you two can have my bed and I can sleep in the spare ro-”

Louis laid a hand over Liam’s mouth, smiling softly. “How far from your room is the spare room?” 

Liam mumbled behind Louis’ hand before licking it. Louis jerked his hand away, laughing. “Same floor, but across the house.” Louis looked skeptical. “We could put him in the reading room, it’s got a futon. It’s just across from my room and it’s open, no door.”

“We’ll figure it out as the night goes on, but we don’t have any clothes here,” Louis pointed out. “Not everyone packs a go-bag like you.”

Liam blushed as he took Louis’ hand and pulled him up the stairs into the master bedroom. Louis gaped at the size of the room, easily half the size of his entire flat. The walls were decorated with superhero posters and other very Liam-esque stuff. The bed was nearly as big as the one they’d shared at the hotel, and Louis’ heart tinged at the thought of Liam curled up alone in the massive bed instead of crowded into the double next to Louis. He was still staring at the bed when Liam dropped two duffles onto it, his face still bright red.

Louis ran his hand over the smaller green bag before opening it and finding a pair of froggie footie pajamas and a change of clothes and underwear in Harry’s size. There was also a smaller green bag full of toiletries. He turned his attention to the larger blue bag and found pajamas and clothes for himself, as well as a small bag of toiletries. When he flipped through it, he chuckled at the inclusion of eye liner, lube and condoms.

“You made us go-bags,” Louis whispered looking up at Liam, heart clenching in his chest knowing that Liam had put so much thought into these, getting the sizes right and, as he looked some more, even including an extra night light for Harry. “I can’t believe you,” Louis continued, his voice still soft. Worry began to creep into Liam’s eyes, and he pulled his lip between his teeth. Louis smiled while using his thumb to free his lip before leaning in to kiss him gently. “You keep getting sweeter.”

Liam chuckled and deepened the kiss, shifting his weight to send them falling back onto the bed, knocking the bags to the floor. They were still kissing and laughing when there was a knock on the door to the bedroom. 

“Oi! Break it up,” Niall shouted, stepping into the room with one hand over his eyes, the other reached out to keep him from running into something. When they laughed, Niall slowly lowered his hands and gave them a big grin. “Sunny and Rain have arrived. The rest of the guests will be here shortly and I don’t think either one of your families will be happy if you’re hiding out in the bedroom.” 

Louis climbed off the bed, laughing when Liam grabbed him and pulled him back down. “I suppose I could distract everyone downstairs, but you guys need to be quick and quiet,” Niall told them.

Louis was still laughing and flailing his arms at Niall, knowing that if he and Liam tried to get started, quick and quiet would not be words that would be considered in the slightest. After a couple of minutes, and a bit of help from Niall, Louis managed to get up and pull Liam off the bed. They moved the go-bags to the floor of the closet before exiting and joining Niall and the girls in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the food. Niall was looking at the cake, pleased with the photo of the five of them that they’d chosen to have the bakery put on the top.

An hour later, Zayn, Spencer, and Harry arrived and everyone shouted, “Surprise!” Zayn stared around with wonder, tears in his eyes. He laughed when his family surrounded him with hugs, and Louis watched as he pressed a kiss to Spencer’s lips, whispering  _ thank you _ ’s. Harry ran around the party, jumping from group to group, telling everyone how he kept it a secret and all about the trip to the park with Spencer, Argos, and Zayn.

The cake was a big hit with Zayn, and he cried when they told him to cut into the image on the top. “I can’t,” he sputtered. “We look perfect.”

Niall laughed and handed Zayn his present, a framed version of the photo and once Zayn opened it, he started cutting into the cake, but his hands were still a bit shaky. Harry claimed the piece with his face for himself and argued that Spencer deserved Zayn’s face because, “If he no see Zayn, he should taste him!” Everyone in the room laughed at the matching flush on Zayn and Spencer’s faces, and Harry looked confused by what was so funny.

The party wrapped up relatively early with their families having long drives home and Zayn begging off to spend the rest of the evening alone with Spencer. Louis quirked his eyebrows in question, but Zayn just shrugged with a wry twist to his lips. Once everyone was gone, Niall having driven Sunny and Rain home and then saying he was just going to stay at theirs that night, Liam carried a sleeping Harry upstairs, laying him out on his bed so Louis could change him into the pajamas that Liam had purchased.  

They quickly got themselves ready for bed, knocking shoulders as they brushed their teeth side by side at the two sinks in the master bath. Liam laughed when Louis stole his sleep shirt and hid it, forcing Liam to head to bed in just his joggers. They reentered the bedroom to see Harry still sleeping at the foot of the bed, one of his hands tangled in his own curls, the other hanging off the side of the bed like he was reaching for something.

“So…” Liam asked, trailing off.

“I think he’ll be okay in the reading room,” Louis said, smiling and running a teasing hand up Liam’s chest. Liam nodded and scooped Harry up to carry him out of the room. Louis pressed a quick, gentle kiss to Harry’s forehead and then a lingering kiss to Liam’s lips. “Hurry back.”

Liam disappeared and Louis heard Harry start fussing after a minute and then Liam’s voice reading from a book to his son. He crawled onto the bed and Liam’s voice lulled him to sleep before Liam could even come back into the room.

Louis startled awake when his phone rang out with Liam’s ringtone. He glanced around, confused, for a minute, before remembering he was in Liam’s bed. He glanced at the other side and found it empty except for a note in Liam’s scribble stating,  _ Took Harry to your flat. Be right back. Love you. -L. _

Now, a bit panicked, he grabbed for his cell just before it switched over to voicemail. “Hello?” He heard voices, but no one responded to him. There was music playing, Drake, if Louis wasn’t mistaken. He started to speak again when he heard Harry giggle. 

“Tank you, Pay-o,” Harry said, his voice sleepy. Louis glanced at the clock, surprised to find it was almost one o’clock in the morning.

“No worries, Hareball,” Liam responded and Louis could hear the exhaustion in his voice. There was a loud yawn and then a quieter one. The line went quiet save the music and Liam’s voice singing along.

“What that?” Harry asked, suddenly sounding much more awake.

“The Love Shake,” Liam responded. “They have milkshakes.”

“They open! I want shake, Pay-o! Please!” Louis could hear the pleading in Harry’s voice and knew Liam was going to give in, even though it was the middle of the night. Louis chuckled and hung up the phone, flipping to a game to occupy himself until his late night adventurers returned.

It was only about a half an hour later when Louis heard the front door of the house open and shut quietly. He didn’t hear any voices, so he assumed that Harry had fallen asleep on the ride. Creeping down the stairs and staying on the landing, Louis watched as Liam carried Harry towards the living room before crossing back in front of Louis, not seeming to notice him, before disappearing back out the front door. He returned a moment later, two cups in his hand as he locked the door and headed into the kitchen. Louis watched as Liam dumped one of the cups into the sink, probably Harry’s leftover shake, before dropping the cups into the bin. Louis ducked back up the stairs when Liam turned back towards the living room, presumably to retrieve Harry.

Louis was sitting up on the bed, back against the headboard when Liam finally came in about ten minutes later. He smirked when Liam startled to find him awake. “Hey,” Liam whispered. “I left you a note.” 

Louis pointed to the note on the nightstand. “You also butt-dialed me. How were the shakes?” Liam’s face flushed and he began to stutter out an apology, stopping as Louis knee-walked towards him on the bed. “It’s fine, I’m not upset, just curious what prompted the late night run to the flat.”

“Harry came in about twenty minutes after I did; probably a good thing you’d fallen asleep.” Liam gave Louis a look, and Louis shrugged with a sheepish grin in return. “I wasn’t asleep yet, so I managed to stop him from waking you. He was upset because he’d forgotten FroggieDoggie at the flat and I didn’t even think about putting a stuffed animal in his go-bag.” Liam shook his head and muttered something under his breath that sounded like  _ stupid _ , so Louis pulled him onto the bed and moved to straddle him, pressing his lips to Liam’s and silencing his personal degradation with his lips.

After a couple of minutes, Louis pulled back. “You drove my son back to our flat, a good half-hour drive, one-way, to pick up a stuffed animal?” Louis shook his head, smiling fondly when Liam nodded shyly. “Then got him a milkshake that I’m guessing he didn’t even drink?” Liam nodded again. “How could you do all of that, while letting me sleep, and then beat yourself up because you didn’t put a stuffed animal in the go-bag, which was a sweet gesture all on its own?”

Liam shrugged. “You’ve already done so much on your own, I just want to help,” Liam explained. “I want to make your life easier, not harder.”

“You do make my life easier. You make it damn near perfect,” Louis said, leaning in for another kiss. “Now let me thank you properly,” he whispered as he began to kiss his way down Liam’s chest towards his waistband.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized he didn’t have to do everything alone anymore, nor did he want to.


	26. Chapter 26 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

A couple of weeks after Zayn’s party, Louis and Harry were back at Liam and Niall’s home to set up for Harry’s birthday party. Liam was still at the firehouse, his shift scheduled to end just before the party began, so everyone else was pitching in to get the house ready. Spencer and Harry were wrapping silverware, Harry gathering and rolling while Spencer tied ribbon around the centers. The two giggled together as Harry described the decorations in great detail.

Niall was fussing over the cake while Sunny was helping lay out the last of the snack bowls around the living room and kitchen. Zayn was helping Louis hang balloons while they talked quietly about Spencer and Liam, both of them with ridiculously fond smiles on their faces. Louis was happy to see his friend as seemingly in love as he was.

Edith and Edy arrived first, Edy struggling with a huge present that Harry kept trying to grab from her. The two ended up on the floor in a heap of giggles. They had hit it off at lunch together the weekend after the play and were always asking when they could get together to play again. They had a weekly FaceTime date and Niall kept teasing Louis that Harry had found his soulmate at five years old. Louis pouted because it wasn’t fair that it had taken him so much longer.  

He sent a quick text off to Liam telling him to hurry. He received a smiley face emoji and  **_Forty-five more minutes_ ** . Zayn teased him by making kissy faces at him, and Louis just raised an eyebrow, staring pointedly at where Zayn’s fingers were tangled with Spencer’s.

It was two o’clock when the rest of the guests began arriving. Louis greeted Nicole from school and her husband, smiling to see they had also brought Jesy and Jake, who grabbed Harry around the middle, tickling him mercilessly until Louis was afraid his son was going to wet his pants. Louis’ mum and Liam’s mum kicked Niall out of the kitchen to take over preparing the food, homemade pizzas and salad. Zayn’s mum was running around making sure the snack bowls stayed filled. There was still no sign of Liam, but his shift had just ended. Louis sent off another text that went unanswered.

When three o’clock rolled around, Jake and Zayn were helping the kids with a pull-string pinata. They lifted Ernie and Dorie off the ground so they could reach to tear a ribbon off. Edy and Harry each pulled a ribbon, Harry pouting when his didn’t open the pinata. Finally, Daisy pulled the right ribbon and candy spilled over the floor, all of the kids diving for it. Harry helped Dorie and Ernie fill their bags before realizing he hadn’t grabbed any for himself. He started to fuss, but Edy stepped right up and offered to share her candy with him. He beamed at her around a mouthful of gummy bears.

It was nearly four o’clock and the food was laid out, everyone was having a good time, but Louis kept looking between the clock and his phone. Liam’s shift had ended at two and it wasn’t like him to be late without calling first. Louis had tried calling him a couple of times, but the calls had gone straight to voicemail. Harry had already asked a couple of times where Liam was, and Louis tried to sound convincing when he said that he’d be there any moment.

Five o’clock, and Niall was bringing out the cake that was decorated to look like a pond with gummy frogs and fish all over it. Harry squealed and clapped his hands, but when Louis lit the candles, he looked around him. “Where Pay-o? No cake without Pay-o.”

“He’s still at work, sweetie,” Liam’s mum explained. “You know he works really hard and it has to be very important for him to miss your birthday.” When Karen’s eyes met his, Louis had to wonder if she was trying to reassure him as much as Harry. 

Zayn held up the video camera that he’d been using to film most of the party. “I’ll make sure to get every moment for Liam, yeah, Sprout? So, he doesn’t feel like he missed anything.” Harry’s eyes were shiny with tears, but he nodded. Louis sang along with everyone else, watching Harry carefully as they moved through cutting and eating the cake. 

Six o’clock meant it was finally time for presents. Harry asked about Liam again before looking at Zayn who just pointed to the camera. Harry had been so good about not bothering everyone about opening them, but as soon as they were laid in front of him, he made quick work. Paper was flying everywhere, and Louis was scrambling to pick it up until Trisha, Zayn’s mum, made him sit down and took over paper wrangling duties. Harry declared every present the “best gift ever!” He giggled and squealed over everything from the underwear Louis’ family gave to him to the giant stuffed frog from Edy and Edith and the large box of colouring books and supplies from Nicole. 

Once every present was opened, and Harry was off with Edy playing the Candyland game he’d gotten, Louis snuck away to the screened-in porch to try Liam’s cell again. Straight to voicemail.  Almost five hours since Liam’s shift had ended and not one single sign of the man. Louis was brushing away tears, feeling betrayed on Harry’s behalf, when he felt someone standing behind him. He turned to find Geoff, Liam’s father, standing there, a sad smile on his face.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Louis told him, dropping into one of the chairs, watching as Geoff moved into the other, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, hands intertwined in front of him.

“I know exactly how you are feeling. You’re worried and you’re angry and you’re feeling guilty for being angry, but you shouldn’t. It’s alright to be angry,” Geoff stated.

Louis’ jaw fell slack as the words sank in. “That is  _ not _ what I was expecting you to say.”

“I know.” Geoff steepled his fingers underneath his chin. “The first time Liam didn’t call home after work, his mum nearly had a heartattack. I was so angry with him for upsetting her.”

“Did he forget?”

“No. A major house fire had broken out just as he was getting ready to leave to come home. He hadn’t left the firehouse yet, so he just suited back up to help the next shift.” Geoff’s eyes became damp. “His mind was on the people he was going to save, not on the people at home, the people who love him.”

“And you were angry,” Louis said, slowly.

“So angry, but so glad when he finally called and was safe.” Geoff’s eyes were far away for a moment before he blinked a couple of times, focusing on Louis once again. “That was the fire where Andy got hurt, you’ve heard about that, yeah?”

Louis nodded. “From Andy. Liam’s never mentioned it.”

“He probably won’t anymore, but that day, he shared everything. How could I be angry when my son was a hero? When he was lying in a hospital bed because he’d saved his friend’s life?” Geoff reached a hand out to Louis, patting him on the knee. “It doesn’t change that I was angry though, and that it was okay to be.” Louis nodded, grateful to Geoff for taking the time to talk to him, as the other man rose to his feet. “I’ve got to get the missus home. Please tell Liam that we’re sorry to have missed him and to please call us as soon as he gets in.”

Louis stood and held a hand out to Geoff, gasping when the man used it to pull him into a hug. “You and Harry are good for him,” he told Louis. “Take care of them, son.” Louis choked up as they hugged.

“Thank you, sir, I will.”

“Dad,” Geoff corrected gently, before releasing Louis and heading back into the house.

Louis stayed on the porch, feeling like a horrible host as he heard cars starting up and pulling away, but he just couldn’t bring himself to go inside and pretend that everything was alright. He smiled as Harry came out on the porch with Edy, their hands clasped between them. “Edy go bye-bye. She come back,” Harry told Louis, who smiled through wet eyes.

“Bye, Edy. Thank you for coming to the party. Harry loved your gift and having you here.” Louis gave Edy a hug and then turned to Edith with a smile and a hug. “Thank you for coming.”

“Have you heard from him?” Edith whispered in Louis ear, making a sympathetic sound when Louis shook his head. “I’ll pray for him.” Louis nodded his thanks, not able to find words as Edith took Edy’s hand and headed out the front door. 

It was just after eight o’clock when Harry and Louis walked back in; they found Niall and Zayn cleaning up while Spencer sat at the island in the kitchen, Argos lying at his feet, sleeping. Zayn and Niall both looked at Louis with expectant looks that fell from their faces when he shook his head. Harry climbed up to sit next to Spencer, leaning sleepily on the man’s shoulder as they talked quietly about the party, and Harry began to describe all of his gifts in detail.

Louis helped Niall load the dishwasher while Zayn finished reorganizing the refrigerator to hold all of the leftovers. Once he was done, he turned to put the kettle on the stove and Louis moved to pull mugs out of the cabinet Niall pointed to. Once all of the tea had been poured, Louis realized he’d prepared a cup for Liam without thinking. Niall patted him on the back with a tense smile before pouring the mug down the sink and herding everyone into the other room to relax and watch telly.

It was almost ten o’clock, and they were about half-way through the second episode of a show that Louis really wasn’t paying attention to, when Louis’ phone rang with the generic ringtone. He started to not answer it because he didn’t recognize the number, but at the last minute found himself swiping to receive the call. “Hello?” He could feel the collective held breaths in the room, except Harry who was already asleep draped over the stuffed frog from Edy.

“Is this Mr. Lewis Tomlinson?” a voice he didn’t recognize asked.

“This is Louis Tomlinson,” he corrected. “Who is this?”

“My name is Helena Johnson. I’m a nurse at London Bridge Hospital. You are listed as a Mr. Liam Payne’s primary emergency contact-”

“What happened? Is he all right?” Louis interrupted, feeling his heart stick in his throat as everyone around him jumped to their feet, save Harry who was still sleeping unawares.

“Mr. Payne was injured trying to put out a fire at a warehouse. You should probably come to the hospital right away. Is there anyone else we can contact?” the nurse asked politely.

“No, I’ll call his parents,” Louis said, surprised when he saw Niall already pulling his coat on and holding Louis’ out to him. He had his phone to his ear, and he heard him say Liam’s dad’s name. “Thank you. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Just come to emergency and give your name,” the nurse explained, her voice lost as Louis hung up, hoping she understood.

Zayn was pacing, his hand running over his hair. Spencer reached out and managed to grab him on one of his passes. “Zee and I will stay here with Pup. Just keep us updated,” he said, and Louis nodded, forgetting or maybe not caring, that Spencer couldn’t see the action. He allowed Niall to pull him out the door toward the car, his mind too much of a mess to manage on his own.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that everything could change with just one phone call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.


	27. Chapter 27 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments.
> 
> I know there are a lot of you who are upset with me after the last chapter. I hope this one makes it a little better (although I'm afraid it might not).
> 
> Hang in there and I'll keep passing out blankets and cuppas and wait with you until the next update. You can always come and yell at me on Twitter (JolynnMG) or tumblr (josjournal), if you like. I do love talking to people.
> 
> xx-Joey

Louis had no memory of the ride to the hospital. His mind was a repeat of the thought, “ _ Liam’s hurt _ ”. He knew he was shaking, and he’d never heard Niall so quiet, the boy having said nothing since hanging up with Liam’s parents, who had just stepped into the house in Wolverhampton when Niall had called and were getting back into the car and coming straight back. They would be back in two or three hours depending on traffic.

He startled when Niall finally spoke his name. “We’re here,” he said quietly, and Louis nodded, not moving. Niall got out of the car and walked around the front, opening Louis’ door and pulling him out gently. As they walked to the emergency entrance, Niall started talking, his voice still a shadow of itself. “I know how you’re feeling. I used to be Liam’s emergency contact. I’ve done this a few times. He’s going to be fine, yeah? He’s probably already demanding to be released so he can get to you and Harry.”

Niall stopped talking when Louis looked at him, knowing his eyes were full of unshed tears and the smile that he gave was less than reassuring. “He’s going to be fine,” Louis repeated, wishing his voice didn’t crack.

They approached the desk and a pretty young woman in purple scrubs looked up at them with a smile. “Good evening. How may I help you?”

“I’m Louis Tomlinson. Here for Liam Payne. He’s a fire-”

The nurse stood and placed a hand on his arm that was leaning on the counter, cutting him off. “I’m Helena Johnson. We spoke earlier. Follow me, please.”  

“Both of us?” Louis asked, but Niall spoke up before she could respond.

“I’ll wait out here for Liam’s folks and call Zayn to let him know we arrived,” he said. “I’ve done this. You can do this.” Louis nodded and turned to follow the nurse.

As they entered the back area of the ER, through doors that were opened by the nurse swiping a badge, she began to speak. “I just want to warn you that Mr. Payne is on oxygen due to smoke inhalation and also under heavy sedation. He was quite agitated when he was brought in, making it difficult to care for him.” Louis nodded, feeling his heartbeat pick up. “He kept asking for you and something about a hairball, arguing with the staff that he had to leave.” 

Louis’ heart stopped for a minute, and the tears he’d been holding back started to stream down his face. The nurse stopped walking and turned to him, her smile soft as she reached into a stand that was sticking out of the wall next to her and produced a couple of tissues that she handed over to him. He took them and choked out his gratitude for the small gesture. “Harry is my son,” he explained, and the woman looked confused. “Liam calls him Hareball.”

Helena gave him a small, sympathetic smile and continued down the hall before entering a room at the far end. Louis hesitated outside when the nurse disappeared, reappearing a moment later with a quizzical look on her face.

“How…” He swallowed against the lump in his throat. “How bad is he hurt?”

The soft, sad smile was back on the nurse’s face. “He’s suffered some minor burns on one arm and a fracture of the other. His blood oxygen levels are fairly low due to the smoke inhalation, but they are climbing.” Louis was confused. The individual words made sense, but the complete sentences were overwhelming. “He’s going to be fine,” she explained, smiling when Louis let out a small breath of relief.

When they walked into the room, Louis felt the tension fly over him again. Liam looked so still, his face covered by a mask, tubes running into his left arm that was covered in bandages. His right arm had a cast from the fingertips to the elbow. The only sound was the beeping of the heart monitor, which Louis focused on, relieved that the beeping continued in a steady, even rhythm.  

He glanced to the screen next to Liam’s bed, immediately confused by all the numbers. There was a green sixty in the upper corner. A blue eighty-five below it. More numbers and more lines and all of them meant nothing to him. He saw the nurse turn to leave and reached out to touch her arm briefly.  “What do those-” Suddenly the beeping picked up and the green number shot up to 75. 

“He must hear you,” the nurse explained. “That green number is his heart rate. The blue one is the percentage of oxygen in his blood.” Louis nodded. “The others are blood pressure, but right now his numbers are fine, except for the oxygen levels. We like those to be, at the very least, ninety percent. He was in the seventies when they brought him in, so this is a vast improvement.” Liam’s pulse evened out again.

“Thank you,” he whispered, smiling a little when the beeping picked up slightly.

“If you need anything, or if he wakes up, press the nurse call button, and someone will be in to check on him. I’ll let the doctor know that you’ve arrived, and I’m sure she’ll be in to speak with you.”

“Thank you, Helena. I really appreciate this,” Louis said, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Liam. He moved to the chair on his left and sat down, reaching through the bars and laying his hand over Liam’s, smiling at the heart monitor. “Hey, Li,” he whispered, blinking back tears. “I know you’re only sleeping because of the drugs, but could you please wake up. I’m not used to this, ya know? I know I’m Hazza’s emergency contact for everything, but he’s never been seriously hurt.” Louis shook his head, focusing on the man in front of him. “When did you make that happen, anyway? Did you just forget to let me know? You probably did or you were nervous how I would react.”

Louis was chuckling when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Turning, he found a couple not much older than himself hovering in the doorway. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you,” the man said, squeezing the woman’s hand. “Is this the fireman they just brought in?” Louis nodded, unsure of where this was going. “We wanted to come and thank him.”

“Thank him?” Louis asked, glancing over at Liam before looking back towards the couple.

“He saved our son,” the woman explained, reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone. A moment later, she was showing Louis an image of a young teen with messy black hair and a crooked smile. “Mateo is eleven, and he was home alone when the fire-” she broke off on a sob, and Louis stood to reach out a hand in comfort, surprised when the woman gathered him into a hug.

The man continued. “My wife and I were out shopping, leaving Mateo home alone for the first time. He called us when the fire alarms in the building went off, and we told him to grab a coat and hurry out of the building.” He shook his head. “If he had just left, he might have made it out without your friend getting hurt. We are so thankful for him, but we are so sorry.”

Louis shook his head. “No. No. Liam wouldn’t want you to be sorry. Is your son alright?”

The man nodded. “Thanks to...Liam?” Louis nodded. “Mateo was making his way down the stairs when a beam fell, just missing him. He saw Liam coming up and was trying to make his way to him. He said that he started shouting at him, but Mateo couldn’t hear him over the flames.”

The woman finally let go of Louis and walked over towards the bed, her hand hovering over Liam’s until Louis nodded and then finally settling, gently brushing his fingers. “Flames from the beam had jumped to his coat. Before he reached Mateo, a beam fell on Liam, and Mateo started screaming. Liam managed to get the beam off his arm and finally reached Mateo. He was so confused why the fireman was hitting him until he saw his jacket in the ambulance.”

“He shared his mask with Mateo. Your friend saved his life. He’s got some burns, but nothing fatal.” The woman was crying again as the words left her.

“He’s going to be alright?” the man asked, and Louis nodded. “Thank God. He is a hero. He is  _ our _ hero.”

Louis’ smile was bright. “I will be sure to tell him when he wakes up,” he told them.  

“We should be getting back to Mateo. We will try to stop by again later, if that’s alright with you,” the woman said, her eyes still on Liam’s face.

“Yes, of course. My name is Louis, in case anyone gives you a hard time.”

“We are Aaron and Alia,” the man said, smiling as his wife finally rejoined him in the doorway, wrapping her arms around Louis who returned the hug.

Once they were gone, Louis returned to the chair, studying what he could see of Liam’s face. “My hero, too,” he whispered. “You just save everyone.”

“That he does,” a voice said, and Louis looked up to see Andy standing in the doorway.

“They’ll let anyone in, won’t they?” Louis joked, and Andy nodded. Louis noticed the gift bag in his hand. “You went out and bought a present?”

Andy’s laugh echoed, and Louis was surprised he didn’t hear a bunch of people trying to shush him, but maybe they were used to Andy here. He held the bag out to Louis. “Nah. Think this might be Harry’s birthday gift. It was on Liam’s bunk.”

Louis took the bag and set it next to the bed. “Thank you. You didn’t have to come up here just to-”

Andy’s laughter cut him off. “The entire shift is in the waiting room. I just managed to sneak back here. This is what we do when it’s one of our own. Maz brought food, if you’re hungry.” Louis shook his head. “I figured.” He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled something out. “Grabbed this off Payno’s bunk, as well. Thought he might want it when he woke up.”  

Louis reached out and took the small stuffed dog that Harry had given Liam, the one that he’d so sweetly asked to keep Liam safe on Halloween. Louis blinked away tears as he snuggled the dog to his face for a moment before leaning over the bed to rest it near Liam’s pillow. He smiled his thanks to Andy who just gave a chuckle that sounded kind, and Louis chose not to point out the dampness in the other man’s eyes.

“How do you always manage to get past my nurses, Samuels?” a woman in a white coat asked from the doorway, a fond smile on her face.

“Just my natural charm,” Andy said, smiling and then pulling her into a hug. “What’s up, doc?”

The woman was laughing and shaking her head as she pulled away and smacked him on the arm. “Out!” She demanded, pushing him towards the door and shutting it behind him. Louis chuckled when Andy pressed his face against the window and the doctor knocked her fist against it. She finally turned to Louis, and he could see her trying to school her face into a serious expression. “Louis Tomlinson?”

They shook hands, her grip firm and eye contact made. “My name is Dr. Knight, I’m one of the resident physicians for emergency here. I’m sure you know that, normally, we do not discuss patient status with anyone outside the family, but since you are listed as Mr. Payne’s emergency contact, that is taken as permission from the patient to do so.” 

Louis nodded, looking worriedly over at Liam. “His mum and dad are on their way,” Louis explained, trying to figure out how much time had passed. “If you wanted to wait.” 

The doctor shook her head as she flipped open the chart in her hand and walked over to the monitor. She tapped the screen with a grin at Louis who noticed the blue number had jumped to ninety. “His pulse ox is rising at a good rate, it should be back to normal soon, and we can try weaning him off the oxygen. His pulse is strong and blood pressure is good. He’s still resting, which is always a good thing with the firefighters; I don’t think they ever get enough sleep.”

Louis wasn’t going to disagree with her, but he still wished Liam would wake up. “The nurse said you had to sedate him.”

“He was quite agitated when they brought him in and kept trying to get out of the bed. I didn’t want to restrain him due to his injuries, so sedation was the safest route. It should be wearing off soon, and we’ll start pushing some more saline through to keep him hydrated,” the doctor explained. “The nurse said that you finally explained his obsession with hairballs?” Her lips twitched at the corners as she asked.

“That’s what he calls my son,” Louis explained, smile fond. “Today was his fifth birthday party, and Liam missed it.” Louis felt that twinge in his heart again as he realized this would only be the first time Liam might be forced to miss something important.

“Ah, that explains it, then. I’ll go over care instructions with you and Liam once he wakes up, but if you have any questions…” Louis shook his head. “Alright, then, I am going to let you be and just let us know when he wakes up or if you need anything.”

“Is it alright for me to use my mobile in here?” Louis asked, and the doctor nodded. “Thank you.” Once the doctor was out the door, he dialed Niall’s number.

“How is he? Andy said he’s out cold.” Niall’s voice was clipped, but a bit more chipper than it had been when they’d arrived.

“He’s going to be fine. Some minor burns and a broken arm.”

“Shit. That means time off. Liam hates time off,” Niall said. “I’m glad he’ll be fine. I’ll call Zay-”

“Let me call. I want to talk to Hazza if he’s awake,” Louis explained.

“It’s almost one, Lou,” Niall said, softly. “Time passes differently in there. Let me call. You try to rest.” Louis snorted as he looked at the chair he was sitting in. “I said  _ try,  _ ya wanker.”

After hanging up, Louis sat in the chair next to the bed and continued talking to Liam about anything he could think of - the party, Harry’s gifts, promises of the video that Zayn had made - until his throat was scratchy. He really wanted to go out for some water, but he didn't want to leave Liam. He could feel his eyes growing heavy, but he didn’t want to close them until Liam opened his.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson really began longing for forever.


	28. Chapter 28 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments!
> 
> Hope y'all are a bit happier with me after today's update! :D
> 
> Someone left me an absolutely adorable idea for this story in comments. I loved the idea. I truly did. There is just one small issue; this story is actually completely written. Has been since before I posted the first chapter (I never start posting incomplete works - it's a thing for me). However, that doesn't mean I won't write a one shot to go along with this 'verse at some point in time, so, if you have an idea for me, feel free to leave it in the comments! who knows? I might use it! :D
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis wasn't sure how much time had passed, or how he hadn’t run out of things to talk to Liam about, but he still felt a small thrill every time the heart monitor picked up for a second after he laughed or stood to press a kiss to Liam’s forehead. The sticky taste of sweat making Louis think of happier times and praying those times would be coming again.  

His own emotions went back and forth between relief, fear, panic, love, and just about every emotion that he had ever experienced in his lifetime. Each one stood out in sharp relief before numbing off and fading into the next. He kept running a hand through his hair and tugging on the edges, trying to keep himself in the moment and focused on Liam.

There was a knock on the open door, and Louis looked up to see Liam’s parents, still in the clothes they had been wearing when they’d left Liam’s house all those hours ago. He knew he probably didn’t look much better than they did.

“Son,” Geoff said as he and Karen came into the room, a nurse following with an extra chair and another man following with a larger recliner type chair. Louis stood and allowed himself to be engulfed in their hugs.

“I called your mum and Dan,” Karen told him, and Louis winced because he hadn’t even thought about calling his mum. “They send their love and said to call if you need anything.”

“Thank you, ma’am, I mean, mum,” Louis muttered, correcting himself when Karen gave a soft noise of disgust. 

“Think nothing of it,” she told him. “You’re family.” Louis felt his already arid throat tightening. “Are you thirsty?” When Louis nodded, she reached into her bag and pulled out a water bottle, opening it up before handing it to him. He drank greedily and thanked profusely. “Hungry?” Louis shook his head and then giggled when Karen started pushing him towards the recliner. “Now, rest.”

Louis shook his head, but he settled into the recliner, remaining upright as he chatted with Liam’s parents. They didn’t seem surprised that Liam had listed him as his emergency contact and, in fact, seemed rather pleased about the news. They teased him a little about how happy he made their boy. That got him talking about Harry, sharing stories about things they’d done together in Doncaster.

“He’ll be starting school in the autumn, yeah?” Geoff asked. “He’s about the right age.”

Louis nodded, wincing. “I don’t know if I’m ready for him to start school.”

“No parent is ready for their child to grow up, Louis,” Karen told him, glancing over at Liam, still so motionless and pale in the bed. “You worry every time they walk out the door that, one day, they won’t walk back in.”

“Letting go is the hardest part of being a parent,” Geoff added, “but when you do, it’s also the greatest gift you can give them.”

Louis’ eyes were damp, as were theirs’, but he felt incredibly grateful to both of them for being the wonderful people that they were. He was beginning to see where Liam got his big, beautiful heart from and hoped that he was passing on the same type of traits to Harry. 

After a few more moments, where the hiss of oxygen and the beep of the heart monitor were the only sounds, Geoff cleared his throat. “So. Harry. School?”

Louis chuckled. “Right.” He took another drink of water, already on the third bottle that Karen kept pulling out of her, seemingly, bottomless purse. He was really going to have to use the restroom soon. “There are a couple of schools near where I teach, but I’m not sure how I feel about them. I don’t want to choose one too far away and make Harry have to get up even earlier to commute.”  

They discussed a couple of the options, but Louis still wasn’t feeling any better about them and knew he was going to have to start seriously looking if he was going to get Harry in somewhere in time for the next school year. Subjects changed and conversation flowed. At around five in the morning, Louis excused himself to the restroom for a moment and, when he returned, he noticed Geoff was beginning to nod off in one of the chairs.

“He can have the recliner,” Louis offered, but Karen shook her head and pushed Louis into it. Louis didn’t think he would be able to fall asleep, but as soon as he was in the recliner and Karen had draped a blanket overtop of him, he felt himself sinking into the exhaustion that he hadn’t even realized he was feeling. He tried to fight it off, wanting to be awake when Liam awoke, but he quickly found it was a losing battle.

Louis wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but he was still disorientated when he awoke, eyes gritty and throat dry again. He reached blindly for the water bottle, startling when he heard Harry’s giggle. Eyes shooting open, he saw Liam sitting up in the bed, the oxygen mask still over his face, while Harry kneeled next to him and touched the mask. 

“Like my as-ma,” Harry told him, and Liam nodded as Harry picked the stuffed puppy up and pressing its nose to Liam’s hair making a smacking kiss sound.

“Hey,” Louis said, voice cracking as he struggled to stand, smiling when Geoff reached over and pulled him to his feet.  

Liam’s eyes squinted shut, so Louis knew he was smiling behind the mask. Harry reached for Louis, and he scooped his son up into his arms, holding him as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His eyes went to the monitor, and he grinned as he saw the blue number had risen to ninety-eight. “How are you feeling?” 

Liam shrugged and lifted his arm, narrowing his eyes in a glare and then grabbing the mask and pulling it away from his face, groaning when his mum pushed it back into place. “Not yet. The nurse said she’d back in shortly.” Liam’s shoulders drooped, but Louis could still see the twinkle of mirth in his eyes.

“Nana, hungry,” Harry said, eyes wide and lower lip pouted out.

“What time is it?” Louis wondered, looking around for a clock, his phone long dead.

“Almost noon, you slept for quite awhile, love,” Karen told him, smiling softly. “Harry got here a couple of hours ago, but he was scared at first, and we didn’t want him to wake you.” Louis saw the sad look in Liam’s eyes and rested a hand on the blanket over Liam’s thigh, patting gently, watching for discomfort.  

“Why don’t we take Harry to the cafeteria for some food and let these two have some time,” Geoff suggested, reaching to take Harry from Louis. Harry kissed Louis on the cheek and blew a kiss to Liam before allowing Geoff to take him. Karen pressed kisses to both Liam and Louis’ foreheads before disappearing.

Louis watched them go and yelped when he felt himself yanked backwards against Liam’s chest. He looked up and saw Liam struggling with the mask. “You need to leave it on.” Liam shook his head and finally managed to pull it away. 

“Have to say this,” Liam said, voice scratchy and breathy. “This…” he started. “This might hap-”

Louis held the mask up and away as he cut Liam’s words off with a quick press of their lips. He then gently replaced the mask, laughing at the spike in Liam’s heart monitor, but also worriedly checking the blue numbers, glad they hadn’t dropped. Liam tried to reach for the mask again, but Louis stopped him.

“Are you quite finished?” Liam shook his head and reached for the mask, but Louis grasped his hand gently. “Let me talk and, if I’m way off, then I’ll let you talk, yeah?” Liam’s eyes narrowed, but he finally nodded. 

“Alright, so I’m your emergency contact now?” Liam nodded. “When did that happen?” Liam averted his eyes for a moment, his hands twitching before pointing to himself and then to Louis. Louis thought about the movements, smiling when Liam repeated them, this time tracing a heart on his chest before gesturing to Louis again. “After we said ‘I love you’?” Liam nodded. “So, since Christmas.” Liam nodded again, Louis detecting a bit of a blush across his cheeks that were outside of the mask.

“You are going to have to tell me why you neglected to inform me of that.” Liam looked sheepish, and Louis traced a finger over Liam’s eyebrow and down over his cheek along the edge of the mask. “I don’t mind. In fact, I’m quite touched, but I’m not sure how well I handled things this time. I did my best, and I’m incredibly grateful I had Niall there,” Louis told him. “I was so scared when I got that call and all I could think was that Harry and I had lost you.” Liam’s eyes glistened, and Louis could feel the tears in his own eyes, reaching for Liam’s hand again as he tried for the mask. “I’m not done.” 

Liam nodded, his shoulders slumped, and Louis glanced towards the door before adjusting himself to lie next to Liam on the bed, head resting on his left shoulder, Liam’s arm around him. “This okay?” Liam’s eyes crinkled shut as he nodded and then rested his forehead against Louis’.

Louis enjoyed the feeling of being in Liam’s arms and took some time to reorganize his thoughts, putting the words in order inside of his head before opening his mouth. He knew it was incredibly important that he say everything perfectly so that he didn’t agitate Liam or worsen the situation in any possible way. 

He realized he’d been silent for too long when Liam tapped his fingers against his hip. Louis looked up at him, seeing the concern in Liam’s brown eyes. Louis rubbed a hand gently over Liam’s chest, feeling the rise and fall of each breath and the thump-thump of his heart. Liam made a strangled noise when Louis still hadn’t spoken for several more minutes.

“Sorry. Just putting the words in order.” He tapped his fingers over Liam’s heart in an echo of the beat. “I know this won’t be the last time this happens, I can hope it is, but I know that, with what you do, you might get hurt.” Louis took a deep breath, feeling his eyes growing wet. “You might die,” he whispered, letting a few of the tears escape. Liam lifted his casted hand and groaned a bit when he tried to wipe away the tears, and Louis backed away, wiping at his own eyes.

“I love you.” Liam made a low sound that might have been a response, but Louis just narrowed his eyes and he stopped to let Louis continue talking. “You love being a firefighter and I would never ask you to stop. This job was your dream, is your dream, and your happiness is so, so important to me, so I will support you, and I will be here for every moment that we have. If the worst happens, I will love you beyond that, yeah?” Louis heard Liam sniffle and looked up to see Liam’s cheeks were wet. “I hope those are from my words and not from my fat arse leaning on you.” Liam choked out a gravelly sound that Louis thought was laughter.

Liam’s hand moved to hover over the mask, and Louis reached instead to remove it before sneaking another kiss, not caring that Liam’s lips were dry and tasted like stale air. The kiss lasted longer than it probably should have, but Louis didn’t want to miss one opportunity, one moment, one kiss.   

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that a little more time with Liam James Payne was better than no more time with Liam James Payne.


	29. Chapter 29 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments!!!
> 
> I don't know if you noticed, but I finally put the total number of chapters up. So, just seven more chapters after today!!!! Like I said in my last update, this story might end, but that doesn't mean our time with these characters has to. If you have ideas, I'm not opposed to revisiting this 'verse and writing one shots. You just have to let me know what you would like to see! :D
> 
> I haven't said this for a few chapters, but I owe a big thanks to my beta and bestie, Jess. She has been betaing a ton of stuff for me lately (this story, a lengthy Ziam, and lots of drabbles/ficlets). She is also the best support system in my life. She is there when I am beating myself up and she is there to stop me when I want to trash every word that I write. I don't know what I would do without her, tbh. She is wonderful. On top of all that, she is a hell of a writer. Everyone should go check out the stories by [Purpleeyestelllies](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/purpleeyestelllies).
> 
> I hope everyone is having a good week!!! Be good to yourselves!
> 
> xx-Joey

Louis stayed curled next to Liam, talking quietly and occasionally pulling Liam’s mask back to press another kiss to his lips. Liam tried to speak a few times, but Louis would hush him and just start talking again. He shared stories from Harry’s earliest years that he thought Liam hadn’t heard before, enjoying the rumble deep in Liam’s chest that indicated mirth. He also shared his fears about Harry starting school in the fall, sighing as Liam tried to run a hand gently over his back, hoping Liam wasn’t aggravating any of his injuries.

They were sharing another kiss that lasted slightly longer than the others, Liam chasing Louis’ lips when he pulled away when a chuckle sounded from behind them. They jumped apart, looking like guilty children. “Well, that explains the random spikes in his heart rate, then.” 

An older gentleman in a white coat was standing in the doorway, smiling fondly at them.  “Greetings, my name is Dr. Daly.” Louis smiled as he started to climb off the bed, laughing when Liam tried to grip the back of his shirt. “You have to let the young man go so we can try to get this mask off of you.” Liam let go so quickly, Louis slipped off the bed and almost fell onto his bum. “Mr. Payne, yeah?” Liam nodded and pulled at the mask, trying to get it over his head, the doctor laughing as he reached to help.

“Thank you,” Liam croaked out, and the doctor just smiled as he fiddled with the end of the oxygen tube, removing the mask and replacing it with another length of tubing. “What?” Liam asked as the doctor started trying to fit the circle of tubing over Liam’s head.

“This is a nasal cannula. It will fit into your nostrils and still deliver oxygen, but allow your mouth freedom to move.” He winked at Liam. “However, I would keep the mouth-to-mouth to a minimum.” Liam pouted at him and the doctor shook his head as he began to remove the bandages on Liam’s left forearm, and Louis saw his burns for the first time, wincing in anticipation, but sighing when he saw they weren’t as bad as he’d expected. “These are looking really good; the paramedics did a good job treating it to avoid tissue damage.”

“What about his other arm? How long do you think he’ll be off work?” Louis asked, knowing that those were questions going through Liam’s mind.

The doctor explained the severity of the break, saying it was at least a clean break and should heal quickly and his jacket had managed to take most of the heat, the burns on that arm no worse than a bad sunburn. Liam would probably miss, at most, eight weeks of work. Liam was pouting, but Louis just kissed him again and said, “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

“As long as his pulse ox levels stay good, we’ll remove the cannula in a few hours. Then monitor him for another few hours and, barring future problems, allow him to go home,” Dr. Daly told him, laughing when a small voice started cheering. Harry had returned with the Paynes standing quietly behind him.

“Pay-o go home?” Harry asked the doctor, who squatted down to be eye level with him. 

“And who are you?” Dr. Daly asked, smiling at Harry.

“Harry Edward Tomlinson,” Harry said before pointing at Louis. “That my Daddo and that my Pay-o,” he continued pointing at Liam. “Pay-o go home?”

“He will as long as he behaves himself,” the doctor explained. “Are you going to help take care of him?” Harry nodded enthusiastically, and the doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop. “Are you allowed these?” Louis nodded, knowing the doctor was watching him. 

“Yes, please,” Harry said, holding his hand out and grinning when the doctor placed it in his hand. “Tank you,” he said, hugging the doctor quickly before running back to Liam’s father and holding the lolly out to be opened.

The doctor introduced himself to Liam’s parents before answering a couple more questions and then excusing himself. Harry handed his lolly to Liam and then pulled himself up onto the bed to lean against him, taking back the lolly before Liam could get a taste of it. “Nana brought you ice water,” Harry said, and Karen held out a foam cup with a straw, aiming it towards Liam’s mouth.

After drinking most of the glass, Liam cleared his throat a couple of times. “Hareball, I’m really sorry I missed your party.”

“It alright, Pay-o,” Harry told him. “You save people.”  

Louis snapped his fingers, his memory triggered. “Oh, yeah, you had some visitors while you were sleeping. Aaron and Alia.”

Liam nodded. “They stopped by with their son,” he said, his voice still scratchy, and Louis saw the tears.

“‘Teo!” Harry squealed. “Pay-o save him! I hug him!”

“You sure did,” Liam told him, smiling. “Are you ready for your present now?” Liam sipped at the water again, and Louis wondered just how sore his throat still was.

Harry tilted his head back to look at Liam. “Present?”

“Your birthday present,” Liam told him.

“You give me present. FroggieDoggie for you house!” Harry argued as Louis remembered the smaller version of FroggieDoggie that Liam had presented to Harry on his actual birthday, saying it was for Harry to keep at his house so they wouldn’t have to take anymore midnight excursions. 

“This is your birthday  _ party _ present, and I’m sorry it’s late,” Liam said, a sad smile crossing his face, and Harry nodded, a similar expression on his little lips. Louis reached down and grabbed the bag, settling it gently in Liam’s lap. “Go ahead.”

Harry started pulling the tissue paper out and throwing it around the room, smiling as everyone laughed at him. He reached in again and pulled out a box, staring at the picture on the outside. “It camera?” he asked, looking at Liam, who nodded. “It look like froggie face!” Harry giggled and showed Louis the box. “Open!”

“Please,” Louis reminded as he took the box and started opening it, while Harry watched.

“There’s more,” Liam said, tilting the bag towards Harry who glanced inside and then reached in, pulling out a large book.

Harry opened it up and the smile on his face grew even bigger. “It us!” he squealed, turning the book to show Louis. The front page had pictures of the three of them; from Halloween, Louis’ birthday, and other random days. Harry turned the page and started laughing at the pictures of the five of them together. Another page and there were pictures of Harry with all of their families and then a page full of Harry with other people in their lives: Spencer, Sunny, Rain, Louis’ students, etc.

“This for me?” Harry asked Liam who nodded. “Empty pages.”

“Those are for you to fill up,” Liam explained. “I saw your other book was getting full.” He choked a bit on the last words, and Karen held the cup out to him again, allowing Liam to drink a bit. When the cup was empty, she and Geoff excused themselves to refill it.

Louis moved to stand next to the bed and showed Harry the camera. He grabbed it and tried to turn it on, but there were no batteries, so he frowned. Liam gestured to the bag, rubbing at his throat. Frowning, Louis reached inside and pulled out a package of batteries and extra memory cards. “You thought of everything, didn’t you?” Louis asked, pressing a kiss to Liam’s lips, laughing when Harry stuck his face close to kiss them both on the cheek.

Louis spent a few minutes trying to get the batteries into the camera and then laughing when Harry kept snapping pictures of Liam. “I look terrible!” Liam argued, but Harry just kept reminding him he was a hero and heroes got their pictures taken. Harry took a few of Louis and Liam together, moving in close to catch a kiss they thought they were being sneaky about.

Louis hadn’t realized how late it was getting until Niall and Zayn appeared with boxes of pizza and DVDs stacked in their arms. “Lads’ night came to you,” Zayn explained and sprawled out on the recliner Louis had been sleeping in.

“Are you going to work tomorrow?” Niall asked as he tapped the back of Harry’s hand when he tried to steal a pepperoni off his pizza, pointing at Harry’s own sweet corn and chicken pizza and making a face.

Louis had honestly forgotten that he had to work the next day, that the weekend had flown by so quickly. “They’ll probably release you tomorrow, yeah?” Liam nodded. “I better call and tell them I’m going to be taking a few days off.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Liam said, nibbling the edges of his slice of pepperoni, and Louis nudged over the gelatin that the nurse had smuggled in for all of them, grabbing one of the plastic forks that had come with the pizza. Liam smiled gratefully as he passed the pizza to Niall and began to eat the soft food.

“I know, but I want to do it. I won’t be able to take an eight-week vacation like you, but I can spend a few days getting you settled at home,” Louis told him, reaching for his phone, trying to remember what Nicole had told him to do if he ever had to miss work and finally decided to just text her and ask.

“Which home?” Liam asked, his voice a bit quiet.

“What do you mean?” Louis asked, a bit confused as he watched Harry taking pictures of the others. They’d already replaced the batteries in the camera once, but it was worth it to see the smile every time Harry showed off one of his pictures.

“The house I share with Niall or your flat?” 

Louis opened his mouth to answer, realizing he’d been thinking of the flat when he’d said home, but that really wasn’t Liam’s home. “I...well, I guess…”

Liam gave a small smile, wincing as his lip cracked a bit, and Louis reached for the chapstick Karen had picked up from the gift shop and spread it gently over Liam’s lips, unsure if it was the fire, the hospital, or all the kissing that had dried Liam’s lips so severely. “I won’t be doing much driving,” he said, gesturing with his arm, and Louis remembered that Liam’s car was a manual transmission and changing gears would be difficult, if not impossible.

“I can drive Harry and I over in the evenings to see you,” Louis said, slowly, trying to figure out if that was what Liam was trying to get at.

“Or…” Liam started, pausing when Louis’ phone beeped with an incoming text. “What is it?”

“Nicole told me to take as much time as I need. Apparently, the story of the fire was on the news, and she’d been expecting my text. She sends her love and to let her know if we need anything.” Louis shook his head with a small smile, his heart full of love for the older woman who had quickly become his closest friend at work.

“Eight weeks?” Liam asked, his eyes sparkling when Louis chuckled.

Louis glanced around the room, his mind going over all the different options he had for helping Liam through the next several weeks. “What if you spent the week at the flat and then we can spend the weekends at your house,” Louis suggested. “We can come back to the flat on Sundays for Lads’ Night and then return to your house after I get out of work on Fridays.” Louis really didn’t want to upset Harry’s schedule, but he didn’t want Liam to think he didn’t want to be with him either.

Niall spoke up, and Louis hadn’t realized everyone had been listening to their conversation. “I’ll still come over while you’re at work to take care of Harry and keep an eye on Liam. I’ll bring anything you might need from the house.”

Zayn nodded. “I’m always home, and you can call me if you need anything,” he offered.

Liam let out a crackling chuckle. “I guess that’s a plan, then.”

Around noon the next day, the doctor gave Liam the go ahead to be discharged. Louis and Harry were helping him pack up all of the gifts and flowers that had been sent to him while they waited for the nurses to come in and remove his IV and give them discharge instructions. Once the nurse was done, Harry snapping pictures the entire time, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight and thanking her for ‘taking care of his Pay-o’.

Harry was still snapping pictures while Liam moved off the bed and towards the bag Niall had dropped off that morning with a change of clothes. Louis stood next to the bag, wanting to tell Liam to just sit, and he’d bring the bag to him, but knowing Liam had to do things for himself or he’d just feel worse. As Liam moved slowly, his legs still wore out from lying in bed for a couple of days, Louis heard Harry start giggling. Glancing over Liam’s shoulder, he caught Harry snapping a couple more pictures and then looking at the screen and giggling again.

“What’s so funny, Hazza?” 

“No pants, Daddo!” Harry shouted and ran over with the camera as Liam’s face flushed and he reached behind himself with his unbroken arm, struggling until Louis glanced over his shoulder and down, realizing the hospital gown had fallen open and shown off Liam’s bum. “Pay-o no wear pants!”

Louis was trying to keep a straight face while scolding Harry, saying it was not nice to take pictures of people’s bums while Liam scrambled for a pair of pants in the bag and pulled them on quickly, losing his balance twice and stumbling into Louis. “Sit,” Louis finally said, and Liam nodded, sitting on the edge of the bed, refusing to look up.  

Louis used a fingertip to trace the blush he could see on Liam’s cheeks. “It’s alright, Li.” Liam just nodded his head, but Louis heard a sniffle. “Hazza, can you grab the trackies and shirt from that bag for Liam, please?”

Harry was quiet as he set the camera next to Liam on the bed, taking Liam’s good hand to lay it over the top to keep it from falling before walking over to the bag. Once he returned with the clothes, he took the camera back and held Liam’s hand while Louis helped him to pull his trackies on before helping Liam take the hospital gown off. 

Harry leaned in and kissed Liam’s elbow, just above the worst of the burns before holding his camera up. “Picture?” He asked, quietly, and, although Louis was sure the last thing Liam wanted was a reminder, he nodded. Harry held the camera up and then waved at Louis. “Move closer, Daddo.”

“What?” Louis asked, smiling a little when Liam finally looked up, his eyes still a bit red-rimmed.

“Picture you and Pay-o,” Harry said, holding the camera up. Louis’ smile widened as he felt Liam’s broken hand rest on his hip, urging him closer. Louis wrapped his arm around Liam’s shoulder and leaned his cheek on top of Liam’s head, realizing he probably looked terrible. He hadn’t been home since he’d arrived and hadn’t showered. He knew he was a mess, yet he knew this would probably be one of his favourite pictures as Harry whispered, “Perfect,” and pressed the button.

A transporter walked in just as Harry was done taking the photo and smiled. “Hello. My name is Leon, and I’m here to take you down to the car,” he said, gesturing to the wheelchair he’d brought in, laughing when Liam made a face. “Hospital policy, mate.” He looked down as Harry tugged on his scrubs. “Yeah, buddy?” Harry showed him the picture he’d just taken. “That’s sharp. You want me to take a pic of you and your dads?”

Louis gasped and felt Liam tense up, but Harry just nodded and handed Leon his camera before going to stand next to Liam’s knee, leaning back against Louis’ stomach. “Say cheese,” Harry said and they all did, smiling widely when Leon snapped the picture. Once Harry approved the picture and thanked Leon, Louis helped Liam finally pull his shirt over his head and shrug into his jacket.  Harry held his hand as Liam walked to the wheelchair.

“Hop up,” Liam said, patting his thighs, and Harry climbed up. Liam wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist as Louis shouldered the bag and followed behind them to the elevator. Harry chatted the whole elevator ride with Leon, giggling when the transporter called the boy his favourite person in the whole hospital.

Louis left Harry, Liam, and Leon waiting as he ran to get the car from the carpark, glad that Niall and Zayn had thought to bring it up the night before. He pulled up and saw Liam taking a picture of Harry and Leon, the boy clinging to his back, the two laughing. Louis got out of the car and helped Liam into the passenger seat while Leon helped buckle Harry up into the backseat. Harry waved as they drove away.

“Can we please stop for some fast food?” Liam asked, and Louis nodded, pulling into the first drive-thru they passed and got all of them food and sodas. Once they were back on the road, Liam reached over and laid his hand over Louis’. “Let’s go home, yeah?”

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson knew that he would go anywhere with Liam James Payne as long as he called it home.


	30. Chapter 30 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!!
> 
> How many of you are actually surprised that I am updating today? After all, it's a Major Moment! It might not be a major moment in the story (although I like this chapter - one of my fave people in the world makes an appearance and we see some old faces), but it sure is a major moment in 1D history. Six years of the boys that have made my life a great joy and a living hell all at once.
> 
> So, enjoy your day! And enjoy this chapter!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

They quickly fell into an easy routine, Harry loving all the extra time he got to spend with Liam. After a couple of days off, Louis returned to work and didn’t argue too hard when Liam suggested that Niall didn’t need to be over all day, every day; Liam could take care of Harry. Niall looked a bit concerned, but agreed to just come over to help Liam prepare dinner and let him rest. Louis could tell that Liam was growing frustrated with the limitations due to his arm in the cast and Louis was glad he didn’t have to have it in a sling, as well.  

Louis had almost forgotten that the Saturday after Liam was released from the hospital was Valentine’s Day. He would probably have forgotten entirely, if his students hadn’t brought him candy on Friday and Jake had three dozen roses delivered to Jesy during his class. He started texting at lunch, trying to find a sitter for Harry the next night, only to realize that all of his friends were in relationships now. In fact, Zayn started freaking out over text at the reminder that Saturday was Valentine’s Day. He had never been with someone for that day before and didn’t know what to do. Louis could relate because he was in the same boat with Liam. He let out a deep sigh and then jumped when his phone let out a tone.

“Hello?” Louis asked, not having checked the caller ID, but having learned after Liam’s incident to pick up every phone call.

“Louis!” Edith’s voice came through the phone.  

“Edith!” he said. “How are you? Is everything alright?” Edith texted occasionally, but very rarely called.

“I’m sure that you are at work and I’m sorry to bother you, but Edy had a half-day of school and wanted to ask you something,” she explained and Louis smiled.

“Of course,” Louis said and waited until he heard the little girl say hello. “Hi, Edy! How was school?”

“Hi, Uncle Louis! It was great! We had a party for Valentine’s Day and made cards for our friends!” He could hear the excitement in her voice. “Can Harry come over tomorrow so I can give him his? I’m staying the weekend with grandma Edith, and she says he can come stay, too.” Louis was silent for a few moments, and she must have thought he was thinking about refusing because her voice turned pleading. “Please. I promise I won’t let him stay up too late or eat too much candy!”

Louis chuckled and then asked to speak with Edith. “Are you sure it won’t be too much for you? Those two have a lot of energy.”

“Pshaw,” Edith scoffed. “They keep me young.” Louis made arrangements to drop Harry off the next day. 

Once he was off the phone, he turned to his computer and started trying to come up with a gift for Liam. He started going over flower meanings, his eyes catching on chrysanthemums and the meaning for the red and white flowers: truth and sharing. Louis took a deep breath. It might not be the most romantic plan, but maybe it was time to tell Liam everything, give him the one part of himself he’d been hiding.

He arrived back to the flat to find Harry and Liam both waiting with bags packed for their first weekend at Liam and Niall’s. Louis chuckled as he moved towards the bedroom to pack his bag, stopping when he eyed the size of Liam’s bag. “Is my stuff in there?” Liam blushed a little before nodding.

“You can doublecheck, if you want,” he said. 

Louis thought about it for a minute and then shrugged. “If you forgot anything, I’ll just borrow it from you.”

Liam wrapped his arms around Louis resting his head on Louis’ head, earning a poke to the gut, smiling. “What’s mine is yours, love,” he whispered as Harry pushed himself between them to join the hug.

“So, Hazza, how would you like to spend the weekend with Edy?” Louis asked, suddenly remembering the change in plan. 

Harry’s lower lip pouted out for a minute. “I want to spend it with you and Pay-o,” he whined.

“You’ll spend tonight with us and then, tomorrow, I’ll take you to Edith’s house and you can spend Valentine’s Day with Edy,” Louis explained as he watched Liam’s face pale. Liam excused himself, struggling to pull his phone out as he disappeared into the bedroom; maybe Louis wasn’t the only one who’d forgotten the day.

“I no have gift,” Harry said, frowning before jumping to his feet and running for the bedroom, calling over his shoulder, “I get art stuff and make her something!”

Harry came back carrying the large plastic container Liam had bought him to keep his art supplies in, struggling under the weight. Louis reached over and took it from him, setting it on the ground. “How about tomorrow we stop and pick up some flowers for her on the way? Do you think she’d like that? Liam can show you his book and you can figure out which ones to get?”

Harry looked thoughtful as Liam returned to the room, his face looking less pale, but he was chewing his lip. “I need to do some things with Niall in the morning, is that alright?” Liam asked.

Louis nodded. “You don’t need my permission to spend time with your friend, Liam.” Liam flushed. “It’s fine. I’ve got a few errands to run tomorrow, as well. Tomorrow night though, you and me? Dinner at the house? I’ll cook.” Liam looked terrified for a moment. “Or get takeaway.”

“Sounds like the perfect plan,” Liam told him. “Niall has to work at night, much to Sunny’s disappointment, but he’s spending the night there afterwards.”

“Big old house all to ourselves,” Louis asked, wiggling his eyebrows, relieved when a huge smile crinkled Liam’s eyes. “Whatever will we do with ourselves?” A part of Louis was worried about just that after he told Liam everything.

The following morning, Harry was up early and bouncing on the bed, trying to wake Louis up. “Up! Up! Up!” he shouted, giggling when Louis pulled Liam’s pillow over his face and groaned.

“It’s too early, Hazza,” Louis tried, peeking out from under the pillow and smiling when he saw Liam standing in the doorway, struggling with a tray. Louis moved to sit up against the headboard. “Breakfast in bed?” he asked.

Liam nodded as he moved slowly towards the bed, wincing when he had to catch the tray with his broken arm. When Liam was close enough, Louis reached out to grab the tray and moved it to his lap. Liam climbed onto the bed and settled next to Louis, laughing when Harry squeezed between them. Liam distributed the mugs, Harry giggling and pointing out that each one had their name on them, and they settled into a comfortable quiet as they all sipped.  

Louis nearly choked on his tea as he was drinking the last little bit and the inner bottom of the mug revealed the words:  _ I love you. _ “Cute,” Louis said, smiling.

“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Liam whispered as he pressed a kiss to his lips.  

Shortly after, they were all dressed, and Louis was loading Harry into his carseat while Liam and Niall pulled away in Niall’s car. “Are you ready to get flowers?” Harry nodded and showed Louis the picture he’d drawn the night before of a yellow rose with the word “ _ friendship _ ” written underneath in Liam’s handwriting.

Louis walked into the crowded flower shop holding tightly to Harry’s hand and reminding him not to run off. Harry nodded, eyes wide as he looked around at all of the flowers. He started excitedly pointing when he spotted a pot of yellow roses. Louis let Harry pull him towards them, apologizing to the people they had to move past to get to the refrigerators on the far wall. 

“How many?” Louis asked Harry.

“All of them!” he exclaimed, and Louis looked up when he heard a laugh. A young man with a name tag reading ‘Kye’ was standing next to them.

“That’s a lot of flowers. Are they for your girlfriend?” he asked Harry, who made a face.

“Yellow roses mean friendship,” he told Kye holding out the drawing and Kye nodded in response. 

“Yes, they do. You are very smart,” Kye told him. “Who are they for then, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“My best friend, Edy,” Harry told him. “She’s seven!”

“Wow! Then I think you should do one rose and maybe…” he trailed off as he looked around them quickly and then stepped away, reappearing a few moments later with a small brown teddy bear holding a plastic bud vase. “This.”

Harry gave Louis his most pleading eyes, and Louis laughed before nodding. “I think that would be perfect, Hazza.” He gave Kye a grateful smile. “You don’t happen to have chrysanthemums, do you?”

“Mums? Yeah, we do. Did you want cut or planted?” Kye asked as he opened the fridge and gestured for Harry to choose which rose he wanted.

“Can I get red and white planted in the same pot?” Louis asked, thinking that flowers that lasted would be better and they would look pretty out on Liam’s patio once the weather became nicer.

“We can do that,” Kye told him and then gestured towards a wall that held many flowerpots. “Go ahead and choose one of those pots, and then we’ll wander back to the greenhouses and you can pick the mums that you’d like.”

Louis chose a simple pot that looked like it was swirled with blue and white paint. One of the white swirls resembled a heart and he felt a small tug on his own when he saw it. After he’d handed the pot to Kye, he and Harry spent a good amount of time wandering through the greenhouses while Kye transferred the flowers. Louis looked up when he heard a whistle and Kye was waving at them from the door. “You’re all set,” he told them and then led them back into the shop. 

Louis reached for his wallet when he got to the counter, realizing that Harry wasn’t standing next to him. “Hazza?” He called out, trying not to panic.

“Here, Daddo,” Harry responded, and Louis saw him leaning with both hands planted against one of the refrigerator doors, nose nearly touching the glass. “So pretty. Little lion faces.”

Kye chuckled. “I know which bouquet he’s looking at. We had a special order for a bouquet of pansies and passion flower.” He tapped the counter for a second, his eyes far away. “Loving thoughts and passion.”

“Wow,” Louis responded. “You know your flowers.”

Kye shook his head. “Not really. We have this guy who comes in on the regular and he’s got a book. Whenever he orders flowers, we ask him what they mean.”

“Like Pay-o, Daddo,” Harry said as he walked up and smiled up at Kye. “My Pay-o has book. He show me yellow rose!”

“Well, your Pay-o sounds like a pretty cool guy,” Kye told him and then rang up their flowers. “Have a Happy Valentine’s Day, and I hope we’ll see you again.”

Louis said goodbye, and Harry hurried behind the counter and gave Kye a hug, wishing him a happy day. Kye’s eyes met Louis’ and they shared a smile before Harry returned to take Louis’ hand to lead him out of the shop; Louis feeling pleased with how much more outgoing Harry was becoming.

They pulled up outside Edith’s building, and Louis could see through the glass to Edy pacing back and forth across the lobby, her hands full. He pointed her out to Harry who started kicking his feet in his car seat, ready to get out. He was clutching the rose and stuffed bear to his chest with a grin on his face.

Louis exited the car to help Harry out, but he was already unbuckled and fumbling with the door by the time Louis got to the other side. Louis opened the door before reaching into the front seat to grab Harry’s go-bag and the bouquet of pink carnations that he had purchased on a whim for Edith to thank her for keeping Harry that night.

Harry skipped over the sidewalk towards the door, Louis following behind, smiling at his son’s excitement. “Edy!!!” Harry shouted when they reached the doors before pressing his face to the glass and making Edy laugh as she started jumping up and down on the other side. A smiling Edith appeared behind Edy and pushed open the door, moving so that Harry and Edy could embrace as well as they could with their arms full of gifts.

Louis waited until they moved so that he could step into the building, hugging Edith and giving her the flowers, earning a kiss on the cheek. They chatted for a couple of minutes before Louis gave Harry a big hug and kiss and promising to call him to say ‘good night’ later. “Love you, Hazza. See you tomorrow.”

“Love you, Daddo. You leave. You come back.” Louis nodded and gave Harry another cheek kiss.

Louis returned to the car and drove back to Liam’s house, realizing when he arrived that he didn’t have a key and wouldn’t be able to get inside. He texted Liam who responded to tell him to check underneath the flower pot on the porch. Louis shook his head as he walked over and tilted the pot to find a small house key attached to a red ribbon and a card that said:  _ To Louis. Mi casa es tu casa. _ He must have gotten Niall’s help with the Spanish, but Louis appreciated the thought and couldn’t hide his smile as he attached the key to his London Eye keyring, leaving the ribbon as well.

Louis texted back:  _ Cheeseball. _

As Louis unlocked the door with the key, he took a deep breath before stepping inside. He knew this wasn’t any different than giving Liam a key to his flat, but it still felt monumental to Louis. He stepped over the threshold and whispered, “Honey, I’m home.”

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson decided that maybe, just maybe, Liam James Payne wanted forever as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhPN) | [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhPf)  
> ---|---  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhPN)) |  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhPf))


	31. Chapter 31 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Moments Monday.
> 
> I'm just going to post this and go hide. 
> 
> See you Wednesday!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Once inside, Louis set the flowers on the table and walked up the stairs to change into something nicer than joggers for dinner. He was mentally going over what they could get for carryout when he heard the front door open and shut. He listened as footsteps made their way around the lower level. He heard water running and then the clink of something being set down, possibly on the island; Louis wondered if Liam had spotted the flowers and moved them.

Louis entered the bathroom to take a shower when he heard soft music through the whole house sound system, smiling as he let the music flow over him. Stripping quickly he hopped into the shower, losing himself in the spray and the music, jumping when Liam stepped in behind him. He giggled when the shower cast covering Liam’s arm tickled his belly, the plastic crinkling a bit.

Louis couldn’t hold back a moan as Liam pushed against him, already so hard and hot. It’d been an exhausting week since the fire and a busy week before then, so it’d been quite a while since they’d been able to be intimate. Louis had taken care of himself, quickly, a couple mornings in the shower, but as he ran his fingers over the shower cast on Liam’s dominant hand, he realized Liam may not have had the same luxury.

He tried to turn himself around in Liam’s arms, but his grip was too tight as he continued to rut against Louis’ ass. “Li, when was the last-” his voice cut off as Liam’s left hand wrapped around his cock, feeling so good, but just a little bit off. The grip wasn’t as tight or confident, but still desperate and there. Louis dragged in a breath.

Liam’s teeth trailed over Louis’ neck before nipping at his earlobe. “Need you so bad,” he breathed out, causing a shiver to race through Louis despite the heat of the shower and Liam’s body engulfing his. “Wanted to have a nice romantic dinner first, but then I heard the shower and thought about you in here. Thought about you naked, wet, probably hard and touching yourself. I just had to join you.” Liam’s voice was so rough and gravelly, Louis could feel himself pulse out more precome with every word.

“Liam, please stop teasing,” Louis huffed out, trying to turn again, feeling Liam’s head drop to his shoulder, his nose rubbing against it.

“I can’t open you properly with my left hand,” he said, voice so low it was almost drowned out by the sound of the water. He let go of Louis and pushed himself away to hide in the far corner of the shower, smacking the side of his good hand against the wall. Louis suddenly wished this shower wasn’t quite so large, giving Liam so much space to escape. He turned, taking in the defeated slump of Liam’s shoulders, noting he was still profoundly hard, and Louis knew what he needed to do.

He ran a hand over Liam’s shoulder before turning him and pressing up to kiss him, relieved that Liam didn’t put up much of a struggle. Once he felt Liam relaxing back into the moment, he pulled away and moved him gently to the bench built into the opposite corner of the shower. “Sit,” he ordered, smiling when Liam did so, even as he hissed out, “It’s cold.”

Louis lowered himself to his knees in front of Liam, already knowing he’d regret the tile later. Reaching under the bench, he grabbed the shower lube that he’d stashed there ‘just in case’. “What?” Liam asked, a breathless chuckle, as he watched Louis coat his fingers. His eyes were wide, maybe slightly panicked. “I’ve never…” He trailed off as Louis reached behind himself and circled his own hole with a slick finger before pushing inside. Louis’ eyes drifted shut as Liam let out an awe-struck, “Oh.”

Louis waved away the hand Liam attempted to wrap around himself before inching even closer, hissing at the way it made his finger jostle. Once Louis was close enough, he took Liam in hand. He focused on the movements of each of his hands, trying to open himself quickly while keeping Liam from coming too quickly after so long without.

A pearl of precome glistened, and Louis leaned forward to flick his tongue over it, savouring the salty, bitter taste of his lover. He licked out again, smiling up at Liam before sliding his lips over the head and suckling. As Liam’s sounds grew louder, Louis moved the fingers inside himself more quickly, thinking about adding another.

“You’re ready for more, aren’t you?” Liam growled out. “Hole desperate to be stretched, longing for the ache of my cock pushing inside you.” Louis whimpered around his length. “Add another finger. Now,” Liam demanded.

Louis hurried to comply, pulling off Liam as he gritted his teeth and slid a second finger in alongside the first. The stretch was more than he’d expected, but the burn just made him crave even more. He moved to slide his mouth over Liam again, stopping when Liam grasped his hair, holding him in place, mouth gaping open.

“Please,” Louis begged, surprising himself with the desperation in his voice, with just how much he wanted to swallow Liam down.

“No.” Louis whimpered at the fierceness in Liam’s voice. “Turn around. I want to watch.”

Louis hung his head to hide the flush of his cheeks at how turned on he was at this new side of Liam. He sputtered as the water poured onto his face, blinking quickly when it suddenly stopped. He looked up at Liam standing over him, hand on the controls.

“We can move to the bed, but I really, really want to-” He stopped and looked at Louis who had removed his fingers to catch his balance. “Did I tell you to stop?” Louis shook his head and moved his hand back behind himself. “Three,” Liam stated before Louis could slide the two he’d already had back inside. He stared at Liam,who’s face softened immediately. “That’s alright, yeah?” Louis nodded dumbly, head spinning a bit from the sudden change in Liam. “Do you need more lube?” Louis held his hand out and Liam smiled at him before adding more lube than probably necessary, but Louis was touched by the concern.

“You’re alright, yeah?” Liam asked as he squatted down in front of Louis, pressing a hand to his cheek as Louis shivered. Louis nodded and hummed into the gentle kiss Liam gave him. When they pulled apart, the stern look was back, the voice to match saying, “Good. Then get those fingers back to work. Three. You have three minutes, and then I’m fucking you whether you’re ready or not.”

Louis swallowed hard at Liam’s words, not even attempting to deny the slight fear that ran through him. Liam’s gentle touch over his hair as he exited the shower comforted Louis enough to take a deep breath before sliding his fingers inside. Three like Liam had requested. No,  _ ordered _ . Louis moaned around the stretch and heard a pleased hum from Liam.

Louis tried to focus on Liam’s movements, but parts of the glass were still fogged over, and Liam kept disappearing from view. He stepped back into the shower stall holding the bathmats. He dropped them to the floor before reaching over and pulling Louis to his feet by the bicep of his unoccupied arm.

“Keep going,” Liam said before nipping at Louis’ lower lip as he pushed him against the wall, forcing Louis’ fingers even deeper. Liam smile was wicked as he stepped away to arrange the mats on the floor in front of the corner bench. Then he reached out of the shower to pull in a fluffy towel, lying it so it hung doubled up over the edge of the bench. “One minute,” he said to Louis, who’d stopped moving when his curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Louis spread his fingers, knowing he was stretched enough so that he would avoid injury, but not enough to avoid some discomfort.

Liam crowded him into the wall again, hands on Louis’ hips, shower cast slick and sliding off. “I can’t hold you up to fuck you into the wall like I wanted, but I’ve been dreaming about fucking you in here.” He hungrily claimed Louis’ mouth in a kiss that was all teeth and sparks of desire-fueling pain. “Raw,” He whispered into Louis’ ear, teeth digging into the lobe.

A thrill went through Louis at the thought. They’d discussed the idea of no longer using protection a few weeks previously and gotten tested, even though they’d both recently had physicals for work. They’d actually gotten the results shortly before the fire which made it impossible to find the time to take advantage of the news. It seemed the time was now.

“Time’s up,” Liam growled as he turned the handle and the water poured from the rainfall showerhead.

Liam manhandled Louis to kneel on one of the mats, his elbows on the bench, the towel protecting his chest from the sharpness of the marble edge, the mats protecting his knees. Louis was barely settled when Liam shoved two fingers roughly inside of him. Louis yelped loudly. “That’s it. Let me hear your voice echo off these walls.”

Even if Louis had wanted to cheekily hold back his noises, push Liam even further into the dominant role that was coming out, he wouldn’t have been able to when Liam started to pull his fingers out. Just as Louis was going to whinge, he felt Liam’s cock sliding in when his fingertips had barely cleared his rim. “Fuck!” Louis screamed as Liam bottomed out in one quick, smooth slide.

Liam used his good hand to turn Louis’ face to him, studying him. Louis wasn’t sure what Liam was looking for, but he must have found it because his smile grew as he pulled out just to the tip before slamming back inside.

“You’re so fucking tight,” he panted out, and Louis tried to respond with something complimentary about Liam’s size, but every word was lost on gasps, whimpers, moans. “I love everything about you and waking up - fuck - every morning with you has been - oh, god - amazing, but I’ve so missed feeling you squeeze around my cock.” Liam’s thrusts were growing more frantic, his words more garbled with exclamations.

“Touch yourself,” Liam whispered into Louis’ ear as he pulled him up so Louis’ back was pressed to Liam’s chest. Liam sat back on his haunches, Louis moving with him to straddle Liam’s bent legs. Louis didn’t move for a moment, head spinning from the change in position and the directions, but then Liam thrusted up, hard. “Now. Get yourself off like I would, love.”

Louis wrapped his right hand around himself, his left reaching back in an attempt to grasp Liam’s hair, his fingers slipping off the wet strands. “Tighter grip,” Liam directed. “Match my pace.”

Liam kept up his directions as he pushed into Louis, shortening his thrusts into slow, deep grinds. Louis slid his left hand between them, the angle awkward as his fingertips tickled down Liam’s abs towards where they were joined. Louis sighed as he ran his fingers along his rim, tracing around Liam’s cock where it disappeared inside of him, sliding easily and pressing against his prostate.

“You want to slide one in, don’t you?” Liam asked as he pushed Louis forward a bit more and Louis could see him looking between them, watching his fingers and his cock. “My cock isn’t even enough for you anymore?” Liam teased. Louis tried to argue, but Liam shushed him. “It’s alright, love. I think it’d be hot, but…” He trailed off and swallowed hard, and Louis knew what he was trying to say.

“Fill me, Liam,” Louis pleaded. 

“You want to feel me trickling out of you?” Liam teased, his dark laughter tickling across Louis’ damp skin. Louis nodded and tried to move himself on Liam, surprised by the strength in Liam’s good arm as it wrapped around his waist, holding him still. “Don’t come until I say,” Liam said, and, before Louis could say anything, he was moving again so he was on his knees, one hand on the floor and the other still wrapped around himself in front of Liam who began to plunge in and out of Louis at a frantic pace.

Even as hard and fast as the thrusts were, they hit Louis just right each and every time. He could feel the heat building in his stomach, the coil growing tighter, and he was pushed closer to the edge. “Li, please…” he begged.

“Not yet,” Liam bit out before thrusting once more and freezing, holding Louis’ hips tight to his own, and Louis could feel the pulses inside of himself and marveled at how different it felt from any other time. “Now,” Liam said and with just a couple more strokes, Louis was coming all over the bathmat. 

Louis’ hand slipped off and he felt his limbs give out, relieved when Liam caught him around the middle to save him from faceplanting against the tile. Liam pulled out of Louis while helping him to stand. The water was starting to get cool, but Louis was aware of Liam quickly cleaning them before turning off the water and bundling him up in an extra-large, fluffy towel.  

He helped Louis to the bed before disappearing back into the bathroom. He returned without the shower cast and then crawled in next to Louis, tugging the blankets over them. He pulled Louis back against his chest, spooning around him. “Alright?” Liam asked after they’d laid in silence for awhile.  Louis nodded and rolled over to push his face into Liam’s chest. “I love you so much.”

“Love you, too,” Louis whispered before pulling back to look at Liam. “What was that?” Liam’s face flushed and his eyes grew shiny. “No. I loved it, but where were you hiding that...that Liam?”

“I...I don’t know, to be honest,” Liam said. “It just felt right. Was it alright?”

“More than,” Louis told him, but then felt something niggling at the back of his mind. “Is this something you think you’ll need to do every time?”  

Liam quickly shook his head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never...it’s never been like that for me with anyone before, or even with you. Maybe just every once in awhile? Maybe because it had been so long and everything was pent up.”

Louis nodded, satisfied with that answer. “How long has it been?”

Liam flushed. “Had a wank in the shower before I went to work the last time,” he admitted.

Louis suddenly felt really bad and made a mental note to be sure and help Liam out a bit more while his arm was casted. Brushing his nose over Liam’s cheek, he spoke around a yawn. “We’ll talk more about it another time. Naptime.”

Liam kissed Louis gently before pressing kisses to each of his eyelids. “Dinner when we wake up.” Louis nodded groggily against his chest before letting sleep take over.

That was the moment when Louis William Tomlinson realized that Liam James Payne would never stop surprising him.


	32. Chapter 32 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Mid-Week Moments, my friends!
> 
> Hope you like this chapter. I'm hurrying through this because I'm going to the 5SOS concert tonight and then leaving to go out of town for a few days. Lots left to do!! See you when I return!!!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis groaned as he felt Liam’s chest shifting beneath his cheek. He slapped a hand out, winching when it made contact and Liam uttered a curse. Opening just one eye, he saw Liam rubbing the hand of his broken arm over his nose and blinking rapidly. “Sorry,” Louis muttered into his chest. “Stop moving. M’sleeping.”

“I have to wee,” Liam told him, and Louis huffed, but rolled away from him, snuggling into his pillow, yelping when Liam swatted at his exposed, still slightly sore, arse before sliding off the bed and tucking the comforter around Louis. “Be right back.”

Louis grumbled into the pillow and was pretty sure he’d fallen back to sleep when he felt the bed shift again and his nose twitched at the smell of Chinese food. Rolling over, he saw Liam struggling with the carryout bag. “Breakfast and dinner in bed. I’m getting spoiled.”

Liam startled when Louis spoke, but then gave him a crinkly eyed smile. “I figured there was no reason for both of us to get dressed.”

“How did you get out of the house without me waking up? For that matter, how did you drive?” Louis asked as he pushed himself to lean back against the headboard, smiling as Liam set the bag next to him.

“Delivery,” Liam told him. “I, er, didn’t want to risk you waking up alone after...before.” He mumbled the last bit, and Louis felt overcome by fond.

“I’m good, yeah?” he assured Liam, smiling when the boy gave him a tentative smile. Louis wiggled on the bed. “A bit sore, but all good.” Liam chuckled before excusing himself from the room.  

Louis started digging through the bag and pulling out boxes and then searching for a fork. He looked up in time to see Liam reentering with a vase full of flowers. Louis’ eyes lit up when he looked them over. “Little lion faces,” he whispered, remembering Harry’s comment at the flower shop earlier.

“Pansies and-” Liam started.

“And passion flower. Loving thoughts and-” Louis interrupted.

“And passion,” Liam finished. “How’d you know?”

Louis chuckled. “You didn’t happen to notice the pot of chrysanthemums down there, did you?” Liam nodded. “Those are for you. Kye helped me and Harry with them.” Liam started laughing and put the vase on the bedside table next to Louis’ side before turning to kiss him.

Once Liam was settled next to Louis and had a carton of food in his lap, struggling to eat with his left hand, Louis took his fork away and began to feed him, smiling at the exasperated look on Liam’s face. “I can’t wait to get this thing off,” Liam grumbled. “Can’t do anything.”

“You can do plenty,” Louis told him. “Let me do this for you.” Liam nodded and opened his mouth for another bite.

They shared the food, talking quietly between bites and it should have been a nice time, romantic and relaxing, but Louis could feel the tension in his back as he thought about what he was going to tell Liam. He knew that Liam could sense something was off, but wasn’t going to pry or force Louis into speaking.

Once they were done eating, Louis hopped out of bed to clear away the food and put away the leftovers before Liam could. He carried the pot of chrysanthemums back upstairs and set them on the dresser so they could see them from the bed. When he turned around after running his hands gently over the blooms, he saw Liam looking at a book in his lap, brow furrowed.  

Louis knew the book was the one with the flower meanings, and he wondered if Liam’s book matched what he’d found on the internet. “So, what does your book say these mean?” Louis asked as he climbed back into the bed, sitting cross-legged and facing Liam. 

“Um, well, there are a couple. One school of thought says that they mean love and devoted love, but others mention truth and sharing,” Liam said before looking up at Louis. “Are you...is there something you want to talk about?” Louis could sense the nerves in Liam’s tone and part of him wanted to forget the whole thing and tell him they meant the first, but the other part was trying to remember the words he’d been rehearsing for weeks inside his head. “‘Cause if you don’t want to do this anymore, you could’ve picked a better day or-”

Louis leaned forward and cut Liam off with a kiss. “First off,” he started when he pulled back, sighing at Liam’s suspicious gaze, “I love you, so those first meanings apply.” Liam nodded, but the look on his face didn’t change. Louis reached out for his hand, relieved when he let him take it and play with his fingers. “However, I do want to tell you something that doesn't change how I feel about you, but it might change how you feel about me.”

“Lou, I love you. You’re my best mate. Nothing is going to change that,” Liam tried to reassure, even though Louis could hear the tenseness in his voice.

“Don’t make promises, Liam. Not yet, yeah?” Liam nodded his head slowly and squeezed Louis’ hand. “I’ve been practicing how to tell you this, but I’m still not sure if the words are going to come out right, so just let me talk, and, when I’m done, you can say or ask or do whatever you need to.” Liam nodded again. 

Louis took a deep breath and looked at Liam, wanting to lean over and press his lips to Liam’s again. One more kiss. Maybe the last kiss. He knew how much he was risking, but he also knew that Liam was the first person he’d ever really wanted to share this secret with. “What I’m about to tell you, no one else knows, except for Harry’s mum.”  

“Is Harry alright?” Liam asked, and Louis watched him swallow, feeling the pulse at the base of Liam’s thumb picking up. “He’s not sick, is he?”

Louis shook his head, smiling sadly. “What did I say about letting me talk?” Liam mumbled an apology and muttered something about hurrying up that Louis pretended not to hear. “Okay, so, as I was saying. You will be the only person currently in my life that will know this. My mum doesn’t know. My friends back in Doncaster don’t know. No one. And it’s best that we keep it between us, so you have to promise not to say anything to anyone. No matter what else you decide to do after you hear what I’m going to say, you have to keep it to yourself. Please.”

Louis knew that a blind promise was a lot to ask, but he couldn’t tell Liam without knowing the other man wouldn’t share his secret with others. Five years was a long time to hold onto something, and he wasn’t ready to share it with everyone. He watched Liam, waiting. Suddenly, Liam blinked. “Oh. Yeah. I promise. Of course, I promise. I was trying to be quiet.” Louis smiled at him and Liam returned the gesture.

Taking a deep breath, Louis decided the direct route was the best way to start. “I’m not actually Harry’s father,” he spoke quickly, knowing that even just using Harry’s real name would convey how serious this was, watching Liam’s face as the words sunk in, the other boy’s eyes widening the moment they did. Liam opened his mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut, gesturing for Louis to keep talking.  

Louis took that reaction as a good sign and started telling the story from the very beginning. As Louis talked, he watched Liam’s face, trying to figure out what he was thinking, if his reaction was going to continue to be good or if, when Louis was done, Liam would get off the bed and ask Louis to leave and never return. How would he explain to Harry why his Pay-o was no longer in his life? How would he explain it to his own heart?

“So, we moved to London, and I met you and, for the first time, I wanted to tell someone,” Louis finished up.

Liam stayed quiet, looking down at their joined hands and, after a few minutes, Louis began to get a bit antsy and tried to untangle their fingers, stopping when Liam’s grip tightened. He finally looked up to see Liam watching him with damp eyes. “You’ve had five years to know about this. Please, give me at least five minutes to put my thoughts together, yeah.’

Louis nodded and shifted on the bed, his nerves still getting the best of him. With a huff, Liam tugged on Louis’ hand and pulled him closer until he was curled up against Liam’s chest, reminding Louis that they were having this rather serious discussion while naked in bed. He huffed out a little giggle and then a sigh as he felt Liam’s lips press against the top of his head.

“So, first of all, you’re wrong,” Liam said, and Louis pulled back to look at him, jaw dropped. “You  _ are _ Harry’s father whether you helped create him or not.” Liam kissed the tip of Louis’ nose. “Second, and this is the part where you might get upset with me, did you ever think about trying to find his birth father?” Louis shook his head, and Liam huffed.

“I asked her about him when we found out. She wouldn’t tell me anything about him except that he was a one-off over the hols. I’m not even sure if she remembers his name, to be honest,” Louis said. “I’ve wondered about him. Sometimes when I look at Harry and see something that is so different from her, I wonder if he got it from his father.” Louis pulled away from Liam, smiling when Liam refused to break contact, his fingertips running over Louis’ arm, tracing gentle circles over his tattoos, reminding him so much of Harry that his heart ached. “Do you think if we found him, he would hate me?” Louis asked.  

“Do you want to find him?”

“I don’t want to lose Hazza,” Louis responded, voice determined.

“Then, we just keep going along with what everyone thinks. Hareball is your son,” Liam said.

“Our,” Louis whispered quietly.

“What?” Liam asked, shocked.

“ _ Our _ son,” Louis said, face flushing and heart beating rapidly, knowing the words were true. Even if the worst happened, if he and Liam stopped seeing each other, he would never be able to keep Harry from seeing him. He may not call Liam papa or daddy or any other crazy name the boy could come up with, but he definitely filled the role of other parent in the boy’s life. He was and always would be Harry’s Pay-o.

Liam’s face split into a smile as he repeated the words before leaning forward to kiss Louis, lips gentle. The kiss continued, remaining sweet until Liam shifted them so that he was hovering over Louis on the bed. Their mouths met in a more intimate kiss, lips parting, tongues touching, and Liam’s body relaxed into Louis. Louis moved one hand to cup Liam’s cheek while the other tickled over the dimples at the bottom of Liam’s back, smiling at the huff of a giggle that he felt more than heard.

Louis’ phone began to ring and the kiss broke as they both looked over at it, trying to see the screen. “It could be Edith,” Liam said, and Louis slapped a hand out, grabbing the phone and answering it, a bit breathless.

“Loubear, I’m so sorry if I’m interrupting something. I know it’s Valentine’s Day, but I had to call you as soon as I could,” Jay was saying before Louis even finished his greeting.

“What’s going on?” Louis asked, gently pushing Liam aside and sitting to swing his legs over the side of the bed, ready to drive to Doncaster. “Is Dan alright? The girls? Ernie?”

“Everyone Tomlinson and Deakin is fine, love,” she responded, and then hesitated before continuing.

“Mum, just spit it out. You’re starting to scare me a bit.” He glanced over at Liam who was already out of the bed and grabbing clothes, tossing some on the bed for Louis.

“Oh, sweetie, I just ran into Mr. and Mrs. Queen at the flower shoppe in town,” Jay said, and Louis’ heart froze for a moment, he’d no idea the Queens had moved back to Doncaster. 

Louis opened and closed his mouth a few times, words lost somewhere between his brain and his mouth. He felt Liam settle on the bed behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and pressing a kiss to his neck, muttering comforting words that only he could hear. 

“Louis, they were there ordering flowers for a memorial.” Louis’ mind was racing as he tried to process her words. Both of DQ’s parents were there, so it wasn’t one of them. Her grandmother was still alive the last he’d heard, maybe it was her. “Delilah is dead,” Jay whispered, her voice low enough that Louis wondered if he’d imagined them. “She’s dead.” No, definitely not his imagination. “The memorial is next weekend.”

“I’ll be there,” Louis said, hearing a whispered ‘ _ we’  _ from Liam.

“That’s not all, sweetie,” Jay said, and Louis wondered what could be worse than what she’d already told him. “They asked about Harry.”

“Shit,” Louis muttered.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized, not for the first time, that he didn’t know what was going to happen next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZ6) | [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZe)  
> ---|---  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZ6)) | ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZe))  
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZk) | [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZl)  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZk)) | ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhZl))  
>   
> A/N: I actually had to order flowers for my father’s memorial on Valentine’s Day. It's the weirdest thing to be sitting in a hugely crowded flower shoppe (it took me a minute to realize why it was so crowded) among all these happy “in love” people and find flowers to say goodbye to one of the most important people in your life.


	33. Chapter 33 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday Moments!
> 
> As I sat down to prep this chapter, I realized that there are only four updates left, including this one and the epilogue. I'm always sad when ongoing stories come to an end, but I hope everyone reading this is still enjoying the story and will continue to do so.
> 
> I'm eagerly anticipating and dreading your reactions to this chapter.
> 
> See you on Wednesday!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis felt off the entire week.  He found himself lost in moments of watching Harry, picking out the pieces of him that reminded him of DQ, something he hadn’t really done in years. His heart would clench whenever Harry’s dimples would appear, and he’d remember late nights laughing with her and poking her in the dimple. He kept remembering the good times and missing his best friend, his mind conveniently forgetting the last five years.

If the moments lasted too long, Liam would wrap his arms around Louis and hold him snuggly against his chest; not speaking, just being there. Eventually, Louis would come back to himself and bury himself in Liam’s chest, breathing in his scent and centering himself again in the world that he lived in. Every time that Liam silently supported Louis, even after knowing the truth, his heart fell a little bit more for him; something that hadn’t seemed possible.

If Harry noticed his father acting weirdly, he didn’t let Louis know. He was still his bright, loving self. He drew pictures and helped Niall and Liam cook dinners. He proudly presented pizza monkey bread he’d helped make one night and declared it his new favourite food. He was a source of joy for Louis in ways that he’d never been before.

He still couldn’t believe that DQ’s parents had asked about Harry. They’d never shown any interest in him once the papers had been signed. When they’d seen him with Harry in Doncaster, before leaving, they’d go out of their way to avoid them. The couple of times Louis had seen them on his own, they’d pointedly avoided asking after Harry. Why would they be asking now?

Louis spoke to his mother every day, debating going to the memorial, despite his knee-jerk declaration on the phone. When Stan, a childhood friend from Doncaster, called to see if he’d be attending, he decided that he should at least make an appearance. Once he told Liam his plans, Liam told him that he was going with him, his voice leaving no room for argument and Louis blinked back tears at how much he loved him. 

The next question became what to tell Harry. Did they bring him to Doncaster and leave him with his mum, or did they leave him in London with Niall and tell him that Daddo and Pay-o were taking a trip together. After talking with his mum, who was, surprisingly, all for leaving Harry in London, they sat him down to tell him they would be going away.

“I go, too,” Harry said, looking at them.  

“No, Hazza, you need to stay here with Niall and Zayn,” Louis explained. “This trip is just for grown ups.”

Harry pouted out his lower lip at Liam, and Louis could see him struggling to stand firm on this. “I promise we’ll take a trip soon, the three of us, yeah?” Liam promised, and Louis felt a smile tugging the corners of his lips, just like anytime Liam mentioned a future with them. “Anywhere you want to go.” Louis opened his mouth to argue, imagining the places Harry might pick.

“We go Eye and Science Museum,” Harry said, and Louis’ jaw dropped. “You promised!” 

“We did and we will. As soon as we can, we will stay at a nice hotel and go visit all the places you want to go, Hareball,” Liam promised, pulling Harry into his lap and snuggling him, looking up to wink at Louis. 

Friday evening, they were finally on their way, Louis driving and Liam fiddling with Dog in the passenger seat, snapping pictures of him and sending them to Zayn to show to Harry. He showed Louis a picture he’d gotten back of Harry and Argos curled up on the floor of the flat, a book open in Harry’s lap. Spencer was sitting just behind them, his hand lying on Argos’ head, a soft smile on his face. 

“Spencer has been good for Zayn,” Liam said, smiling and reaching over to lay a hand on Louis’ thigh. “I’m glad he found him.”

“Me, too,” Louis responded. “Really enjoying getting uninterrupted sleep.” He laughed when Liam slapped his thigh. “Harry adores him, as well.”

“Harry loves Argos,” Liam countered, smiling softly. 

They drove in silence for awhile before Liam cleared his throat. Louis glanced over before returning his eyes to the road. “What would you think about getting a dog?”

“Can’t keep a dog in my flat.”

“I know. We could keep him at the house. Niall could take care of him during the week and we’d be there on weekends,” Liam responded, pulling his hand back from Louis’ leg and rubbing it over the back of his neck.

“Him?” Louis questioned, smiling to himself. “Why do I have a feeling this is already a done deal?”

Liam shook his head, still looking sheepish. “It’s not, but, you remember, Lucky?”

“The firehouse dog?”

“Yeah. He’s reached retirement age and needs to find a home, and I thought we could be that. Harry already adores him, and Lucky is great with kids. He’s housetrained and really smart.” Liam started babbling, going on and on about all the great qualities Lucky had, stopping only when Louis reached a hand out to cover his mouth.

“When are we picking him up?” Louis asked, full on laughing when Liam let out a cheer from behind his hand. Louis dropped his hand to tangle it with one of Liam’s.

They arrived at Louis’ mum’s place and let themselves in, laughing when they were suddenly surrounded by Louis’ sisters and many disappointed voices that Harry had been left behind. “Next time,” Louis promised. Lottie gave him a smile, and he knew she understood.

Once they were settled in Louis’ old room, Liam pulled Louis down onto the bed with him. They wrapped around each other, Liam’s nose buried in the hair brushing the back of Louis’ neck. “You alright?”

“I don’t know,” Louis responded, surprised by the question. Liam had been so good about not pushing him to talk. “Part of me is mourning the loss of my childhood friend. Part of me just wants to figure out how and what and when to tell Harry. Then another part of me is almost relieved because now I know my secret is just between us. Then another part feels terrible for feeling that way.”

“That’s a lot of parts,” Liam joked, making Louis smile and turn over to press a kiss to his lips. “As long as they all end up with you being alright, that’s all that really matters to me.”

“I’ll be alright,” Louis promised. They were silent for awhile. “I’m mostly afraid because her folks asked about Harry.”

“Why? They knew about him.”

“That’s all they knew about him,” Louis responded, and Liam gave him a confused look. “They knew the baby was a boy and born on February 1, 2010 and that I didn’t give up parental rights. That’s it. They didn’t know his name is Harry Edward Tomlinson and that he is the happiest child in the world. That he loves to draw and has dimples like his mum.” Tears began falling, and he buried his face in Liam’s chest.

“That’s their loss,” Liam cooed. “They’re the ones that are missing out.”

“What if they want to be involved now?” Louis asked. “What if they want to take him back? What if they know?” Louis’ heart started pounding. “What if she told them?”

Liam’s arms tightened around him, and he started making comforting noises until Louis’ heart slowed down and the tears stopped. “We can’t worry about what might happen. We just have to go tomorrow to pay our respects and leave. If anything happens, we’ll deal with it. Together.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Liam assured, his arms tight around Louis, relaxing him until he was able to drop into a dreamless sleep.

The next day, Louis dawdled through breakfast and sipped his tea slowly while Liam watched him. He could feel his eyes and tried to avoid meeting them, aware that Liam knew exactly what he was doing. At around ten, Liam disappeared upstairs and when Louis followed, he found his suit laid out on the bed with a towel and his toiletry bag next to it. He was just picking up the bag when Liam came back into the room, hair wet and a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Can we just skip this and stay here?” Louis asked, brushing his fingers over the tucked edge of the towel.

“We could,” Liam said, stopping Louis’ hands with a sad smile. “We could really do that, but I think you might regret it, in the long run.”

“You’re right,” Louis admitted, sighing before moving around Liam to take a shower, yelping when Liam swatted him on the bum.

“I’ll make it up to you when we get home,” Liam promised.

Louis fidgeted in the car when they pulled up outside of the funeral home, trying to calm his breathing. He jumped when someone knocked on the window next to his head, glaring at Liam when he chuckled. Louis’ eyes met Stan’s through the glass, and he smiled.

Getting out of the car and wrapping Stan in a hug, Louis felt a bit of his nervous energy drain out. “So good to see you, mate. How’s Harry?” Louis filled Stan in on Harry and then introduced Liam. “Nice to meet you. You hurt him. You die,” Stan said, straight face breaking into an all-out laugh by the end of the sentence.

“No worries,” Liam responded, wrapping an arm around Louis, thumb rubbing gently at his waist.

“Do you know what happened?” Louis asked Stan. “My mum just called to say she passed, but didn’t have any details.”

Stan looked uncomfortable for a moment, his eyes darting away. “Overdose,” he said simply.  He shrugged. “They aren’t sure it was accidental.” Louis’ throat tightened, and he felt Liam’s thumb dig in a bit. "She’d been different since they moved back a few months ago.” Louis wondered if this still would have happened if she’d never gotten pregnant, if she’d gotten the abortion, if Louis hadn’t left her life. His mind was racing, and he almost missed that Stan was still speaking. “...not your fault. I’ve always believed you did the right thing. We all did.”

Louis nodded, but Liam was the one to utter this thanks as the three of them made their way to the doors. Louis felt the extra push of Liam’s hand when he hesitated at the doors, having spotted DQ’s parents greeting people. After a moment, Mrs. Queen looked up and met Louis’ eyes, looking startled for a moment before a smile spread over her face.

“Louis!” she called out and hurried down the hall towards him, gathering him into her arms and holding on. “I wasn’t sure if you would make it.”

Louis relaxed into the hold, seeing Liam’s smile out of the corner of his eye and spotting Stan disappearing further into the building. “I knew I had to be here,” he whispered before she released him, keeping her hands on his upper arms and looking him over.

“You look well.”

“Thank you. I am so sorry to hear about DQ.” He felt terrible when her face grew sad and he struggled to come up with something else to say.

“They’re getting ready to start,” Mr. Queen said as he approached, looking as stern as he had the last time Louis had seen him. “Hello, Mr. Tomlinson.”

“Hello, Mr. Queen. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you. I hope that you will be able to stay for a bit after the service; I’d like to have a chat with you.”

“Yes’sir,” Louis responded, his heart stopping as he squeezed at the hand Liam had just wrapped around his.

“Oh, who is this?” Mrs. Queen asked.

“This is my boyfriend, Liam Payne. Liam, these are DQ’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Queen,” Louis introduced, feeling pride when Liam held a hand out.

“It’s very nice to meet you both. I am truly sorry for your loss. Louis has only told me wonderful things about your daughter,” Liam said, awkwardly shaking both of their left hands. Louis saw the doubtful look on Mr. Queen’s face, wondering if the look on Louis’ matched; Liam was flat-out lying, but playing the perfect mourner.

“Payne?” Mrs. Queen said. “We knew some Paynes once, didn’t we, Alfred?”

“I’m sorry to disturb you, but it’s time to begin,” a voice said from behind them and they turned to greet the funeral home director that would be running the memorial service.

They filed into the room, and Louis and Liam took seats near the back, refusing politely when Mrs. Queen tried to usher them closer to the front. While people were settling, Louis glanced around at the pictures displayed on boards throughout the room. He pointed to the one closest to them. “That looks like it could be from the holidays before Harry was born,” Louis whispered to Liam. “She spent time in the Cotswalds, and I don’t recognize most of the people.”

“The Cotswalds?” Liam asked, and Louis nodded, turning his attention towards the front as the director started to speak.

The service was short and touching. A couple of DQ’s friends read some of her favourite poems and they played a couple of songs while pictures from her life flashed on a large screen. Louis noticed Liam was fidgeting next to him. “Alright?” he whispered, and Liam nodded, but kept moving around.

Once the service was over, Mr. Queen came right up to them and asked Louis to step out. Turning to let Liam know he was leaving, he saw that he was studying one of the picture boards and fiddling with his phone. He tapped him on the shoulder and pointed and Liam nodded, his attention returning to his phone.

Louis was more concerned about Liam’s odd behaviour than he was the upcoming conversation with Mr. Queen. They stepped into a small lounge where trays of food and beverages were set out. “Take a seat, Mr. Tomlinson.”

“I think I’d rather stand, if you don’t mind, sir,” Louis responded, his stomach knotting as he stood near the open doorway.  

Mr. Queen crossed to the windows and stared outside, hands clasped behind his back. “My daughter gave me some information a few months back that you might find interesting, if not surprising. I know that I did.”

Louis swallowed hard. “What information would that be?”

“That you are not the baby’s father,” Mr. Queen answered simply. “That the father is some boy that Delilah met in the Cotswalds.” He turned from the window to face Louis, who hoped his face was schooled into a look of surprise. “I’m sure that you are very upset by this news.”

“Upset, sir?”

“You’ve been raising a child that is not your responsibility for a number of years - ”

“Five, sir,” Louis interrupted. 

“Pardon?”

“Five years. My son turned five years old at the beginning of this month,” Louis explained, struggling to keep his voice even.

“Ah, but he is not your son. He is, however, my grandchild. Do you understand where I am going with this?” Mr. Queen asked, and Louis’ heart really did stop for a moment.

“With all due respect, sir. Your daughter signed away her rights to my son, as did you, since she was a minor at the time.” Louis gave himself a mental pat on the back for his mature sounding wording while his insides were falling apart.

“It will take one DNA test to prove that the child is, in fact, not your son,” Mr. Queen argued.

“That same DNA test will prove that he is, in fact, my son,” another voice chimed in, mimicking Mr. Queen. They both turned towards the voice to find Liam standing in the doorway, looking shaken, but determined. “And you will not take him from me.”

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson felt his world flip upside down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Pizza Monkey Bread](http://thethriftycouple.com/2014/04/04/pull-apart-pizza-bread-recipe-including-healthier-and-gluten-free-variations/)


	34. Chapter 34 - February 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Mid-week Moments!!!
> 
> Is everyone still reeling from Monday's revelation?
> 
> Thank you so much for sharing your reactions with me. You have no idea how much your comments have made me smile over the last few days. I excitedly shared them with my daughters and a few friends (some who really don't care about fanfic or 1D whatsoever). Thank you so very much.
> 
> Hope you enjoy today's chapter as well!
> 
> See you Monday!!!!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis took a step towards Liam, hand stretched out, flinching when Liam pulled away and refused to look at him, his eyes locked onto Mr. Queen. “Liam, what are you saying?” Louis asked, his head spinning and his chest tight. He knew that he thought of Harry as their son, but this was beyond that.

“Well, Harry was born on February 1, 2010, so according to this app,” Liam lifted his phone to show them the screen, “he would have been conceived around the middle of May 2009.”  He checked the phone screen again before looking up at Mr. Queen. “Your family rented a cottage in the Cotswalds that season, didn’t you?” Mr. Queen nodded. “Your wife mentioned having known some Paynes. Were they Geoff and Karen, by chance?” He nodded again. “My family rented a cottage at the same time.”

Louis started to feel a bit dizzy **,** and his body swayed. He felt Liam’s hand wrap around his upper arm and let Liam lead him to a chair, sitting him down, but still not taking his eyes off Mr. Queen.  “I met a young woman, Lilah, which I now realize, is short for Delilah, at a party. I lost my virginity while extremely intoxicated, at that party. To Lilah.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Louis asked.

“I told you about it, I just didn't remember her name or really anything about her, until now.” His voice sounded shamed **,** and Louis reached for him, glad when Liam didn’t shake him off. “There is a picture of the two of us from that same party displayed in the other room.” He pulled his arm free **,** and Louis started to panic, but Liam just moved to stand behind him, hands on his shoulders, squeezing gently; Louis could feel the tremors running through Liam and raised a hand to cover one of Liam’s.

“Is this a joke?” Mr. Queen breathed out.

“I assure you that I have never been more serious in my life,” Liam said **,** and Louis had never heard him sound so self-assured. “The time period fits and unless your daughter was even more promiscuous than any of us thought, that would mean that Harry, his name is Harry, by the way, is either my son or Louis’ son and you will not take him away from us.” Louis was relieved that Liam was still holding to the story that Louis honestly believed he was Harry’s father.

Mr. Queen sniffed and glared at them both, but Louis could see the exact moment that he realized he’d lost. “I expect you are both done here,” he said and turned to leave, stopping when Louis spoke his name.

“Regardless of the papers that you signed, if you and your wife wish to meet Harry, we will not stop you,” Louis said, crossing his fingers that he wasn’t stepping on Liam’s toes. On Harry’s father’s toes. 

“I may be in touch,” Mr. Queen said before turning towards the doorway.

“We will leave you both of our cell numbers if you would like to make arrangements,” Liam said, kissing the top of Louis’ head.

“Thank you, both,” the older man said, his voice softer, before stepping into the hallway, returning a moment later. “Thank you, also, for the beautiful flowers. Delilah would have loved them.”  He disappeared and both boys held their breath for a moment to see if he would return again.

“What did we send?” Louis asked, feeling foolish for not thinking about flowers and incredibly grateful that Liam knew him well enough to do it without asking.

“White carnations. Remembrance,” Liam said, dropping into the chair across from Louis and laying his forehead on the table.

“Also, her favourite flower,” Louis said, chuckling fondly. He watched Liam shrug his shoulders and then waited for something else. When several minutes passed with Liam’s face still pressed to the table, he reached a hand out to run over the tips of his hair. “You alright?”

“I’m a dad,” Liam said. “I’m Hareball’s dad.”

“You already were,” Louis said, hesitantly. “We established that.” Louis swallowed hard before asking what had started burning inside his brain after Liam’s announcement. “Am I?”

Liam sat up, looking at Louis. “Are you what?”

“Am I still Hazza’s dad?” Louis reached up and tugged at his hair, twitching the fringe to try and hide his damp eyes from Liam.

“No,” Liam said, drawing a choked sob from Louis who could feel panic and a wave of anger rising inside of him. “You’re his Daddo,” Liam hurried to add, his good hand scrambling across the table to grab for Louis’. “Sorry, not the time for jokes. Too soon.”  

“You’re an asshole,” Louis snapped, but moved to tangle his fingers with Liam’s while his breathing returned to normal.

“But still yours, yeah?” Liam questioned, rising from the chair and pulling Louis into his arms.

“For as long as you want to be,” Louis promised. “I’m not going anywhere.”

They spoke quiet reassurances to each other until one of DQ’s cousins came into the room and they decided it was time to leave. They drove back to Louis’ mum **’** s **,** talking about the situation in the car and deciding that, for now, they would keep the information between themselves until they figured out what it meant for them and for Harry. They talked about contacting a solicitor for legal advice, but neither of them was quite ready to hear if Louis could get into serious trouble for keeping Harry all these years.

After dinner with Louis’ family, they decided to head back to London, both of them wanting to see Harry. Louis texted Niall to let him know they would be home that night and to take Harry to the house. Liam called the firehouse and made arrangements to pick up Lucky that night, feeling the need to have the dog as something to keep them busy and distracted from overthinking everything.  

Liam spent a lot of the ride asking Louis questions about Harry as a baby; some he already knew the answers to, but Louis responded anyway, wanting Liam to feel like he knew everything. Liam told Louis about the health problems he’d had as a child and wondered if they should get Harry tested, but Louis assured Liam that all of his physicals came back clean **,** and he had always been a healthy child.

“I never thought about passing on my health issues to a child,” Liam confessed.  

“Did your parents have health issues?” Louis asked.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Liam said, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked out the window. “I guess I never asked.”

“If they had and you found out, would you hate them for what you went through as a child?” Louis asked, honestly curious.

“No,” Liam told him, falling into silence for a long while afterwards. “How are we going to explain all of this to Harry?” 

“I don’t think we can right now.” Louis tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I’ve spent five years trying to figure out how to explain to him that his mum didn’t want him, so I don’t know how we can explain that who he thought was his actual father is only a pseudo-father and his pseudo-father is his actual father.” He shook his head. “Hell, I’m having a hard time understanding it.”

Silence fell over the car again. Louis kept glancing at Liam out of the corner of his eye. Liam would look serious for a moment and then the corners of his mouth would twitch into the hint of a smile. A moment later, Liam’s eyes would be bright with unshed tears. Louis could only imagine what was going through his head, especially since his own head was a gigantic mess at the moment.

They were pulling up to the firehouse when Liam said, “I think it’s a good thing that you kept him, that you didn’t push her to find me and tell me.”

“What?” Louis turned off the car and moved to face Liam who was leaned back, staring at the roof of the car. “Why?”

“I was sixteen when he was born, Louis. I couldn’t have done it. All I cared about then was sex and sports. I was self-centered and stupid.” He shook his head when Louis tried to talk. “It’s true. I could never have raised him the way you have.” He finally turned to look at him. “Thank you. You raised my son...our son...to be a good person **,** full of happiness.”

Louis was speechless, so he just nodded and leaned over to kiss Liam. “I never thought I was a big believer in fate, but I think the universe is trying to prove me wrong.” Liam chuckled and kissed him again.

They made out in the front seat of the car, stopping only when Andy knocked on the passenger window and told them to ‘get a room’. They climbed out of the car and went inside to collect Lucky. Liam kept stopping and saying hello to everyone before checking his locker, grabbing a couple of things. They made plans to get together with a couple of the other firefighters in a few days. About an hour after they’d arrived, they finally left, heading for the house.

Pulling into the drive at around eleven o’clock, they were surprised to see Zayn’s car there. They walked in the door and were greeted by an enthusiastic Harry. “Daddo! Pay-o! You home!!!!!!”

Louis stood back and let Liam gather Harry into his arms, pressing his face into the boy’s curls and inhaling deeply. “Missed you too much, Hareball,” he said.

“Missed you, too, Pay-o.” It was then Lucky let out a bark **,** and Harry looked down at him with wide eyes. “What Lucky doing here?”

“Well, Hazza, Lucky decided he doesn’t want to be a firedog anymore,” Louis said as Liam squatted down, still holding onto Harry so the boy could pet the dog. “And Pay-o thought it might be nice if he came to live here.”

“Really? Lucky live with us?”

“Well, with Liam and Niall,” Louis said.

“We live here,” Harry responded. “Here. Flat. Donnie. We live everywhere.”

“That’s right, Hareball, you and your Daddo live here, too,” Liam said, smiling up at Louis.

“So, why are you still up?” Louis asked his son, eyeing the three adults that were here before they arrived.

“We cel-bating!” Harry shouted and waved his hands in the air, pulling away from Liam to take Lucky’s leash. “Can I takes Lucky to meet Argos, Sir?”

“Why don’t you and I take him, Pup,” Spencer offered and held out a hand to Harry, who grasped it, and they walked into the other room. Louis heard Lucky give one small yip and then Harry was giggling, so he assumed everything between the two dogs must be alright.

“What are you celebrating?” Louis asked Zayn and Niall.

“Spencer won a big case in court yesterday,” Zayn told him. “Messy custody battle. I got to go watch him in action, it was amazing!”

“They had a private celebration yesterday,” Niall said, elbowing Zayn with a wink.

“Shaddup!” Zayn snapped, slapping at Niall playfully, but couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“Wait! Spencer is a solicitor?” Louis asked.

“You didn’t know that?” Zayn asked.

“No, I don’t think I did,” Louis responded.

“A custody case?” Liam questioned, looking at Louis with wide eyes.

“Yeah, he specializes in family law,” Zayn said, his tone questioning. “I’m really surprised you didn’t know that. I thought I had told you guys, but maybe not.”

“I should pay more attention,” Louis muttered, his tone and look apologetic. “Too be fair, you do go on and on about the perfection that is Spencer Gregory. See, at least, I know his last name.”

Zayn laughed and smacked at his shoulder. “Alright, alright. Maybe I do go on about him, but you and Liam are no better,” Zayn teased.

“A blind lawyer. Go figure,” Liam said, more to himself than as an addition to the conversation. “Very Daredevil.” He laughed when Zayn shoved him before disappearing back into the living room where Harry and Spencer were both laughing.

“Are you two alright?” Niall asked, eyeing them both as they exchanged looks.

“Long couple of days,” Louis told him, hoping he sounded convincing. He must have succeeded because Niall just gave a shrug and grabbed a bag of crisps off the counter before returning to the sitting room.

As soon as they were alone, Liam and Louis looked at each other with matching grins on their faces. “What are the odds we know a solicitor that specializes in family law?” Louis asked.

“What were you saying about fate earlier?” Liam responded.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson decided he truly believed in fate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Ghtd)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Ghtd))


	35. Chapter 35 - March 2015

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Monday Moments!
> 
> Wow, can you believe this is the LAST Monday Moment? *sobs quietly* I will save all of the long drawn-out ramblings for Wednesday - the final update.
> 
> Just going to point out to everyone that I know NOTHING about family law, so I hope you weren't coming here expecting accuracy. I've only written what I think sounds right.
> 
> Hope everyone enjoys this chapter. :D
> 
> See you soon. :(
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Liam scheduled an appointment with Spencer a couple weeks after the memorial, on a day off of school for Louis. Niall came over to be with Harry while he and Liam headed out. “Have fun on your date!” Harry called out after them, waving and blowing kisses.

They went for lunch first at a cafe on the ground floor of Spencer’s office building, neither one of them eating much, lost in their own thoughts. Louis kept opening his mouth to ask Liam what he was thinking, but he was afraid of what he would hear. “This could go really badly, couldn’t it?” Liam finally asked.

“I don’t know, Li. I really don’t. Technically, I guess, I could be charged with kidnapping, right? I mean, he wasn’t mine to keep.” Louis started tearing bits off the napkin he’d been wringing in his hands.

“You only did what you felt was best for him,” Liam defended, pulling the napkin away from Louis, and picking up the pieces that littered the tabletop. “She named you as the father, you can claim that you believed her.”

“But I never slept with her,” Louis pointed out.

“They don’t know that,” Liam countered.

“But we do.”

“We do know, but we also know that as his father, I won’t press charges.” Liam reached across the table, taking Louis’ hand. “No one is going to split up this family.” They shared small smiles at that word. “If anyone can figure something out, it’ll be Spencer. He’s our very own Daredevil.”

Louis snorted. “I can’t picture him in latex.” Liam’s eyes widened. “Shit, you’re doing it, aren’t you?” Liam nodded, face flaming red as he covered his eyes, looking exactly like the see-no-evil monkey emoji.

After several moments of Louis laughing outrageously, Liam’s face returned to a normal colour, and he uncovered his eyes, glancing at his watch. “We should get going. Our appointment is in ten minutes.”

They rode up in the elevator quietly, pinkies curled together as Liam made faces at a baby in a pram. The mother laughing as the baby babbled at Liam, waving his fists in the air and blowing raspberries in response to Liam’s. “You’re very good with children,” she told Liam when they stepped out, the baby fussing once Liam was out of his line of sight.

“You really are,” Louis said when the doors closed again, pressing a kiss to Liam’s cheek. 

“I’ve always wanted to be a dad,” Liam admitted. “Just didn’t think it would happen like this.” Louis’ brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what Liam was saying. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. I just meant that this is a really crazy situation. When I was younger, even when I’d figured out I was gay, I always imagined being married with the perfect little house, and then a child. An adorable little mini-me.”

“Well, you’ve got the perfect little house, and Harry is pretty adorable,” Louis teased him as the doors to the lift opened.

“Now, I guess we just have to get married,” Liam quipped, ducking out of the lift before Louis could catch his breath to respond.

Liam was waiting outside of the door of Spencer’s firm when Louis caught up to him. “What was that?” Louis questioned.

“We’re going to be late,” Liam countered, pushing the door open and heading into the office. 

With a sigh, Louis followed, shaking a finger at Liam. “Don’t think for a second I’m letting this go.”

“Good afternoon, gentleman. How may I help you?” a petite woman in a business suit greeted them as they entered.

“We have an appointment with Mr. Gregory,” Liam said, still avoiding looking at Louis.

“Ah, the Tomlinson-Paynes. Yes, of course. He’s expecting you. Follow me, please.” She rose from her desk and began to head down a hallway, her heels click-clacking on the floor as she went.  

Liam chuckled as Louis sputtered, a hysterical laugh starting to bubble in his chest. He was suddenly reminded of the Halloween party and his breakdown over people thinking they were dating; now in the span of five minutes marriage had been brought up twice. “Did you tell them we were married?!” he squeaked, and Liam shook his head.

“I made the appointment directly with Spencer. It’s probably just how he noted it in the calendar, and she misunderstood,” Liam explained, but there was still an amused twist to his lips. “We should probably be thankful he didn’t put us in as LiLo.”

“He’s spending way too much time with Zayn,” Louis said, smiling to himself. “Thank goodness.”

“I know,” Liam said, giving Louis a small smile and a quick kiss on the cheek when the receptionist cleared her throat.  

“Right in here,” she said, gesturing into an open office.

“Thank you,” Liam said to her as she headed back towards her desk. They walked into the office, closing the door behind themselves.

“Good morning!” Spencer greeted, holding his hand out across the desk, a wide smile on his face.

“Hey, Spencer,” Louis greeted, reaching across the desk to shake his hand. Liam followed suit.

“Take a seat,” he instructed, waving his hand at the two chairs across the desk from him, as he settled himself into his own. He gestured towards a machine on the desk. “You don’t mind if I record this, yeah?”

Louis and Liam exchanged a look. “We’re not even sure if this is something you can help us with,” Liam started. “Can we, maybe, start off the record?”

“Of course, but you both should know that although I specialize in family law, I don’t do pre-nups,” he said, breaking out in a laugh at the end.

“What is with everyone marrying us off today?” Louis muttered, shifting in his seat so he was leaning away from Liam.

“Sorry,” Spencer said. “Just trying to keep things light.” He folded his hands on the desk in front of himself. “So, tell me what is going on, and we’ll try to figure out what I can do to help.”

“Even though we’re starting off the record, we need you to promise not to tell anyone what we’re about to discuss. At the moment, there are less than a handful of people who know about this, and, at least until we get things figured out, we’d like to keep it that way.” Louis spoke slowly to try and convey the seriousness of the situation.

“Of course,” Spencer responded, nodding slightly. “Proceed.”

Louis took a deep breath. “It has come to our attention recently that Liam may, in fact, be Harry’s biological father.”

Spencer took in a quick breath, waiting, and when Louis didn’t continue, he spoke slowly. “Louis, were you aware that there was a chance you were not Harry’s father?” Louis hesitated to answer. “You were.”

“I was,” Louis whispered. “In fact, I knew, for certain, I wasn’t.”

Spencer nodded. “Alright, I have a feeling this is going to be a long story, and I might be able to help, so would you mind if I hit record now?”

“We don’t have-”

Spencer held up a hand, cutting him off. “Oh no, this will be pro bono. This is going to be fun.” He rubbed his hands together, looking like a child on Christmas morning. Louis couldn’t help a small laugh that was echoed by Liam. “As soon as I press that button, please refrain from discussing your certainty that you were not Harry’s father and stick to the story you’ve told all along.”

Louis was confused, but told the story, almost word-for-word as he’d told Liam on Valentine’s Day. When they got to the events at the memorial, he stopped talking and let Liam take over. Spencer stayed quiet for the most part, interrupting only occasionally to ask for clarification. When they got to the three of them sitting in Spencer’s office, the room fell into silence for several moments.

“Alright. The first thing we are going to need to do is get a DNA test. I’m convinced that Liam is the father based on what you’ve told me, but, as that evidence is all circumstantial, we will need physical proof to change the birth certificate,” Spencer explained.

“Will we have to draw Harry’s blood?” Louis asked, chewing his lip; Harry, like any child, hated needles.

“We can do a cheek swab for all of you,” Spencer responded as he turned off the recorder.

“All of us?” Louis questioned.

Spencer tilted his head for a moment, appearing to listen for something. “My office door is closed, yeah?”

“It is,” Louis said, feeling slightly worried.

“Okay, off the record, we are going to go forward with the narrative that you’ve created since Harry’s birth. You honestly believed you were the father, and never questioned it until Mr. Queen told you otherwise at the memorial. We will test all three of you to prove parentage.This way, we can avoid any question of kidnapping and child endangerment.” Louis felt a moment of panic at the thought that there is a real chance he could get in trouble for doing what he thought had been the right thing. Spencer lowered his voice. “I could get into a great deal of trouble for this, but the two of you - the three of you - are worth it.”’

“You really are Daredevil,” Liam said, voice awed.

“Shhhh, don’t let Zayn hear you say that, he’s already getting ideas about it, and I’m not into roleplay,” Spencer said, and Louis laughed when Liam covered his face in embarrassment again.

Once they’d all settled down, they made arrangements to get the testing done the following week after Louis got out of work. It was nearing the end of the day, so they offered to give Spencer a ride home, but he shook his head.

“Zayn and I are heading out of town. Our two-month anniversary is Wednesday, so we thought we’d take a bit of a holiday to celebrate. He’ll be here shortly to pick me up.” Spencer’s smile was bright, and Louis couldn’t help the thrill of joy that went through him.

“I’m so glad that Zayn met you,” Louis told him, honestly. “And not just because you’re helping us with this situation, but because you really do care about him.”

“I do care about him.” Spencer gave a small smile. “Might even love him, ya know? He’s the first person in a long time that can see beyond my eyes. He makes me feel like I did before I lost my sight.”

Louis remembered when Zayn had shared the story with him, the evening after the memorial when Louis was trying to make up for not knowing that Spencer was a solicitor. Spencer had lost his sight in a car accident at fifteen. The same accident that had claimed his father’s life. The case against the drunk driver that had hit them was thrown out over a technicality, and that was what had prompted Spencer to become a lawyer. He’d discovered an affinity for family law while in law school, studying with another student who was his eyes throughout school and who now worked with him at the firm. 

Zayn had also told Louis tales about the struggles Spencer had with people who treated him like he was broken because of his blindness, but that he’d told Zayn that all of them treated him like he was one of the gang. They never apologized for watching movies or chastised Harry when he wanted to “show” Spencer something.

“Well, I hope that you do because I’m pretty confident he loves you as well, and I know for sure that Harry thinks you are the best thing since Liam here,” Louis confided.  

“He’s a great kid. He’s really lucky to have two men who want nothing more than to be his fathers. Together. Sometimes life is really fucked up, but sometimes it makes everything right again.” Spencer smiled. The three of them skipped the handshakes for hugs, and said they’d see each other on Lad’s Night.

As Liam and Louis drove to the house, they talked about what had happened in the office and what the change in birth certificate would mean for them. It would mean Louis would lose any rights to speak for Harry when it came to anything. It would mean that he wouldn’t have any right to keep Harry living with him. As they drew closer to the house, he fell quiet, his mind whirling with panic. He could see Liam glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Once they’d pulled up to the house, Liam got out and walked into the house while Louis stayed in the car, both hands on the wheel, staring straight ahead. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there before Liam came back out of the house, Harry hanging on his back like a spider monkey. Liam opened the door next to Louis, squatting down in the opening, so Harry could see his father.

“What wrong, Daddo?” Harry asked.

“You’ve been out here for almost an hour, love,” Liam whispered. “You’re starting to scare us a bit.”

Louis nodded his head and climbed out of the car, still mute. He let Harry climb off Liam and into his arms, pressing kisses to the boy’s cheeks, smiling a bit when Harry giggled. He walked towards the house, feeling Liam’s hand on the small of his back, normally a comforting presence, but now reminding him of everything that he was at great risk of losing.

Once they were inside, Lucky greeted them with a wagging tail. Louis set Harry down and scratched behind Lucky’s ears before heading towards the stairs. “Hareball, why don’t you go help Uncle Niall with dinner,” Liam suggested, and Harry ran into the kitchen, Lucky on his heels.

Liam reached for Louis’ hand, squeezing a bit tighter when he tried to pull away. He tugged him through the house and out onto the screened porch, making him sit in one of the chairs before sitting across from him, never releasing his hand. “Talk,” Liam said, and Louis shook his head. “No. Talk. Tell me what’s going on. I’ve never seen you this silent, and it’s scaring the shit out of me.”

“I don’t want to lose Hazza,” Louis finally said.

“You won’t,” Liam told him.

“The birth certificate will be changed to list you as the father. I will be nothing,” Louis said. “I won’t even have any right to keep him with me at the flat.”

Liam’s face fell slack. “You think I’m going to take Hareball?”

“I don’t know what I think.” Louis couldn’t even look at Liam to see what those words did to him. He was too ashamed for doubting Liam in any way. Part of him knew that Liam would never do anything to hurt him, or Harry, but a part of him was still so freaked out about the secret finally being out, that the was untrusting of everyone and everything happening around him. 

Liam leapt to his feet and started to pace. He was gripping his hair with his left hand, his casted arm knocking against his thigh as he paced. “ _ You _ are the one who said he was our son.  _ Our _ son.  _ You _ are the one who said I was his dad. That  _ we _ were his dads. The both of us. Together. A team. Why do you think that I would do anything to jeopardize that? To jeopardize us?”

Louis watched him, the words sinking in, the anguish on his face hitting him hard, and he felt Liam’s pain begin to overtake his own. He rose from the chair, moving closer, tears streaming down his face to match the ones on Liam’s. “Stop,” he said quietly. “Stop!” he snapped when Liam didn’t slow down, finally grabbing him and pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

Liam buried his face in Louis’ neck, the tears soaking in Louis’ shirt. “So am I,” Liam told him. “So am I. I can’t do this without you. I don’t want to do this without you.”

“I meant it when I called him our son,” Louis told him, kissing the skin on Liam’s face that he could reach, aching when Liam looked up at him with disbelief. “I did. I swear I did. I’ve never meant anything more.”

Liam moved closer, letting out a breath that brushed over Louis’ lips creating an ache deep inside. “And I meant what I said earlier.”

“What?” Louis asked.

“I’m just going to have to marry you,” Liam said, leaning in to kiss him.

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson realized that forever and happy ever after were within his grasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've mentioned a few places, that I've been working on something related to Moments, but that was offline. Here is a little sneak peek of that project:
> 
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhtB)  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/GhtB))
> 
> There will be more pictures posted with the epilogue. ;)


	36. Epilogue - December 2026

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Mid-Week Moments.
> 
> I'm updating this through tears in my eyes (and if you think I'm exaggerating, my oldest daughter will vouch for me). I can't believe that we are at the end of this story. When I started posting this story on Monday May 2nd, Wednesday August 9th seemed like another lifetime, and, now, here we are.
> 
> First off, thank you to everyone who has read, commented, kudo'd, bookmarked, messaged, encouraged and just generally made my life a joy when it came to this story over the last few months.
> 
> Second, massive and endless thanks to Jess, the world's best friend and beta for putting up with me from the moment I said, "Hey, I've got an idea for another story," until I texted, "Can't believe it's the end. Can I cry?" and then I did.
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this final chapter, that it brings you the joy it brought me to write. I also hope you will check out the end notes to see the special project I've been working on for the last week or so that is related to the story (did anyone figure it out from the clue on Monday?).
> 
> I love each and every one of you. 
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

Louis stretched as the winter sun shone over his face, dragging him out of the exhausted sleep he’d fallen into after the closing night of  _ A Christmas Carol _ the night before. It was his twelfth time staging the production; he just fell more in love with it every year. He glanced over to find Liam’s side of the bed empty, save for a single ginger flower.  _ Proud, _ Louis thought to himself. It was a regular gift from Liam after a show closed.

Plucking the flower from the pillow, he sniffed it before climbing out of the bed. Stumbling out of the room, he smiled as he heard quiet music from behind Harry’s closed door. He could picture his son trying to convince himself to get out of bed, FroggieDoggie still crushed in his arms, although he’d worn down quite a bit and lost an ear a few years earlier. Louis stumbled down the stairs, smiling that the electric kettle was already on, ready to be made into Louis’ morning cuppa. On the counter sat an empty mug with a tin of tea and a strainer alongside. Louis smiled at Liam’s thoughtfulness; he must have set everything up before he left for his run.

Ever since Liam had made chief at the station, replacing Paul when he’d retired three years previously, he’d taken to early morning runs on his days off. Louis really missed waking up next to Liam, but he was extremely proud of his husband. He giggled internally, married just over eleven years, and he still felt a thrill whenever he thought about it.

Preparing a cuppa, he sat at the island, flipping through his phone and groaning at the texts from his family reminding him that they would see him later for his birthday dinner. His thirty-fifth birthday dinner. He groaned when he thought about how old he was getting and used the reverse camera on his phone to look at and poke the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.  

“You aren’t ready for strike, Daddo?” Harry asked as he came down the stairs, long hair pushed up into a messy man bun that Louis just couldn’t get used to. He still couldn’t believe his baby boy was sixteen years old, but was eternally grateful that he’d never outgrown his childhood name for him.

“Ellie and James offered to take over for me so that I wouldn’t be exhausted for dinner later,” Louis told him, standing to pull his son into a hug, laughing when Harry groaned before hugging him back with a laugh. “Everyone keeps reminding me how old I’m getting.”

“Ms. Goulding and Mr. Arthur are both older than you,” Harry said, reaching into the fridge, pulling out one of the crazy smoothie drinks he’d taken to having for breakfast each morning, before settling next to Louis at the island and grabbing a banana out of the fruit bowl.

“Don’t remind me,” Louis said, the back of a hand to his forehead in an overdramatic fashion.

Harry chuckled before taking a bite of his banana and mumbling something indiscernible.

"Don’t talk with your mouth full, Harold,” Louis chastised as he got up to rinse out his mug and place it in the dishwasher.

Harry swallowed his bite with a mock glare. “Not Harold.” Louis smirked and bopped the tip of Harry’s nose as he walked past him. “Where’s Puppy?”

Louis’ grin grew as he took in the name Harry had started calling Liam the day that all three of them became Tomlinson-Paynes. “Out for a run.”

“Can you give me a ride to strike even though you don’t have to go?” Harry had played Bob Cratchitt in the play and, as part of the cast, was required to be at strike.

“What about Edy?” Harry’s childhood best friend was still his best friend to this day and had played Mrs. Cratchitt in the play. The two of them were normally inseparable.

“Think she’s riding with Matthew,” Harry said, making a face. “She’s in looooove.” He threw an eyeroll in for good measure.

Louis shook his head at Harry’s behaviour. He’d known for years that his feelings towards Edy had changed from simply friendship to something more. He’d known even before her yearly Valentine’s rose changed from yellow to red, but he also knew that Harry had never gotten up the nerve to tell her how he felt.

“Is she still coming to dinner tonight?” Harry nodded. “Is she bringing Matthew?” He snorted out a laugh at the growl Harry let out. “Just asking.”

“Honey, I’m hoooome,” Liam’s voice rang out from the front door as the dogs started barking and racing down the stairs, stumbling over each other. “And I found a stray.”

Louis’ heart picked up as he imagined Liam coming across another dog on his run. They were up to two, having adopted them after they lost Lucky five years previously, and he didn’t know if he could handle any more than Watson, the Great Dane, and Loki, who resembled a tiny husky.  

“Good morning, Uncle LouLou! Morning, Harrison! You ready to go?” Edy said as she loped into the room dancing around the dogs that were trying to jump up and grab the McDonald’s bag she was holding aloft in her hand.

“This is the stray?” Louis asked, hugging her. “I think we can keep her. What do you think, Hazza?”

Harry was staring at her, his jaw dropped. Liam walked behind him, kicking up a foot behind himself to connect with Harry’s arse, bringing the boy back to the present. “What happened to Matthew?”

Edy made a face. “He’s a jerk,” she said, giving Harry a look, and Louis had a feeling there was going to be a long conversation on the ride to the theatre.

“In that case, Edison, let’s get out of here!” Harry shouted as he grabbed the bag out of her hand, and raced towards the door.

Edy hugged Louis again, smiling up at him. “Hey, Uncle LouLou,” she said as she pulled away, “do you believe in soulmates?”

Louis glanced at Liam who was filling the dog’s dishes, but had clearly heard the question because he was smiling broadly into the bag of food. “I most certainly do.”

“I think I do, too,” Edy said as she started towards the door, stopping before she turned around and looked at Liam. “Lilacs, yeah, Uncle LiLi?”

Liam nodded, and was smiling when he joined Louis in the doorway of the house, waving as the kids pulled away. “Lilacs?” Louis questioned.

“First love,” he whispered, wrapping his arms around Louis from behind and resting his chin on Louis’ shoulder.

“‘Bout damn time,” Louis said, laughing and turning to kiss Liam properly. “You stink.”

“You love it,” Liam teased. “Shower with me?” There was no way that Louis was turning down that offer.

A couple of hours later, Louis was sitting on one of the chairs on the screened porch, photo albums scattered around him, flipping through the pages.  Liam sat down next to him, offering a bite of the leftover Chinese he was eating. Louis shook his head and tilted the album towards Liam. “Remember this?”

It was one of the pictures of Liam and Louis with Edith at the London Eye. “Our first date. How could I forget?” He ran his finger over Edith’s face. “I miss her.” Edith had passed away two years previously, quite peacefully, after they’d spent the day at the Eye celebrating Walter’s birthday and Liam and Louis’ anniversary; something they’d done every year together and they continued to do without her.

“Me, too, but we are so lucky to still have Edy in our lives,” Louis told him, turning a few pages and laughing at a picture of Zayn, Spencer, Harry and Argos covered in paint.  

“When you guys moved in,” Liam said, smiling. “Still can’t believe Harry and Zayn convinced Spencer to help.”  

Zayn had offered to paint Harry’s new room at Liam’s house to look like a park, and Spencer came over to keep him company, so, of course, Harry sat in the room with them, watching. When Spencer had said something about not being able to help, Zayn had snorted and put a roller in his hands. After that, Harry stood next to Spencer as the man ran the roller over the wall, directing him to clear spots and yelling “DIP!” every time the roller ran out of paint. More paint probably ended up on them than the wall, but Spencer and Harry’s grins had been contagious. Argos and Harry’s footprints were still on the wooden floor, something they couldn’t bring themselves to cover, especially after losing Argos the year before.

“Can you believe those two are finally getting hitched?” Louis asked, smiling at the picture.

“Well, Spencer wanted to wait until he made partner, and, I think, Zayn was too afraid to rock the boat.”

Louis chuckled, snapping his fingers as he thought of something. “Speaking of boats,  _ The Adventures of Sprout and Argos: Summer at Sea  _ is being released next week. Zayn gave me a preview copy after the show last night.” Zayn’s children’s books based, loosely, on Harry and Spencer’s dog had been a surprise success and  _ Summer at Sea _ was the seventh in the series with rumours circulating about a possible television series. 

“To think it all started from that cover Zayn designed for Sunny’s book,” Liam said. They both chuckled as they remembered Sunny wanting to write a fictionalized version of Liam and Louis’ story. They still laughed at some of the liberties that Sunny had taken, including writing a scene of DQ’s character getting Louis’ character drunk and taking advantage of him to “frame” him as the child’s father. The book had been a huge hit.

Liam smiled, flipping through a different album until he showed Louis a photo from Sunny’s first book release back in 2017. The entire group was in the photo, Niall standing behind Sunny with his hands resting on her prominent belly that held Harper. That was the same night Niall finally got off his arse and proposed, making an honest woman of her. Two days later, he’d announced that Bressie had made him partner at the pub. Behind them was a blowup of the cover, Zayn’s artwork bright and colourful. Harry had spent the better part of the night describing it to Spencer who had been beaming with pride the entire time.

Louis was flipping through more photos, talking quietly about each and every one, sharing the memories and the laughter and tears with the man sitting next to him. At one point, Harry came to squeeze in between them, a new book in his hands. “I know it’s not your birthday yet, but since you’re already doing the annual memory lane stroll, I thought it might be appropriate,” he said, handing the book to Louis. “Happy birthday, Daddo.”

Louis gave him a strange look before opening the extremely thick album. On the first page was a photo of Louis and Harry taken at the hospital when he was born. There was also a small photo of DQ and Louis from when she was pregnant. “Where did…”

“Nana Queen gave it to me,” he said quietly.

About two years after DQ had passed, Mrs. Queen had contacted Louis. She was interested in seeing Harry, but only on Louis and Liam’s terms. She would be whoever they told Harry that she was, and they agreed that the truth was the best way to go.  After sitting Harry down and telling him about DQ, he’d grown quiet before saying, “I have a mum in heaven and two dads on earth?” That was his only question, and he’d welcomed Mr. and Mrs. Queen with open arms, seeing them a few times a year.

As Louis flipped through the pages, he smiled at all of the work Harry had put into the scrapbook. There were pages of Louis and Harry with Louis’ mum and Dan and the kids and, finally, he reached the year they moved to London. Harry smiled at the pictures of himself with Niall and Zayn, and plenty with Liam. Pictures of the Halloween party at the station the first year covered one page. Pictures from birthday parties and Lad’s Nights and random moments kept filling the pages.

Upon turning a page, Louis smiled when he saw pictures from the courthouse on the day they’d become Tomlinson-Paynes. Spencer had called in a lot of favours to push through the DNA testing and paperwork to not only get Harry’s birth certificate changed, but to put through Louis’ adoption of Harry, making both Liam and Louis legally his fathers. After discussing it, Liam and Louis decided that they should get married the same day so that all three of them would be changing their names at the same time. They, legally, became a family on Thursday, July 23, 2015, and their families never really forgave them for not having an actual wedding, even though they’d had a barbecue where they’d announced the news the following weekend.

It wasn’t until Harry was twelve and working on a family tree that he’d learned the entire story, and that included Louis telling him, honestly, that he had known all along that he wasn’t biologically his dad. Harry had fallen into a contemplative funk for several days, not speaking to Louis or Liam. One day, he came out of his room and said, “I talked to all of my Nanas, and they told me that I wouldn’t be who I was if it wasn’t for the unconventional way I was raised. I don’t really remember a time before I had two dads, and I wouldn’t want to change that.” He’d then asked for a ride to Edy’s house.

Louis had been horrified that Harry had told his mother the entire story, that the secret he’d guarded for so many years had come out. He called his mother to apologize for lying to her for so long and was surprised when she’d laughed. “Oh, Loubear, I’ve always known.” Turned out that his mother had figured it out when Harry’s blood type had appeared in his chart, the chart that she had checked just before the adoption agency had appeared to take Harry away. “Harry is O+ and you’re AB-; there was no way that Harry was yours biologically, but I already knew he was yours emotionally.” He couldn’t believe he’d kept that secret for so many years and his mother had always known.

As they kept looking through the book, they shared stories of the pictures and Louis’ pride in his son’s hard work in the thoughtful book. As they neared the end of the album, Harry pulled another album out from underneath it. Opening the book, Louis discovered all of the birthday pictures that Harry had drawn him from the first year he could, a tradition that continued until this day. The last picture in the book, the one for that year was the three of them, Zayn’s influence clear in the lines of the drawing. Around the edges were drawings of flowers, different flowers with a variety of meanings, all of which Liam had given Louis at some point in their relationship. 

“Hazza,” Louis said, voice choked up. “Hazza, this is the sweetest one yet.”

“Puppy helped with the flowers. We went over the pictures of your flowers I’ve taken, and we remembered which ones were from when, and he chose the most important,” Harry explained, smiling up at Liam who looked embarrassed. 

“The flowers have marked some pretty monumental moments in our lives,” Louis said, fingertips touching over zinnias, sunflowers, amaryllis, forget-me-nots, gardenias, day lilies, bachelors buttons, pansies, passion flowers, and flowering ginger. Each one he touched reminded him of when Liam had given them to him. He wiped at the tears in his eyes and smiled as Harry rose from the sofa to get ready for dinner.

Liam helped Louis gather up the albums to return them to the shelves. “We do this every year just before your birthday,” Liam said. He pulled Louis into his arms, kissing him on the tip of the nose.

“I never want to forget,” Louis told him. “I want to remember every second.”

That was the moment Louis William Tomlinson-Payne reminded Liam James Tomlinson-Payne that life is made of all the little moments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4I) | [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4l)  
> ---|---  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4I)) | ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4l))  
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4z)  
> ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4z))  
>   
>   
> 
> 
> [](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4X)  
>  ([image link](http://www.ultraimg.com/image/Gh4X))  
> ---  
> While I was on vacation just over a week ago, my youngest daughter dragged me into a Build-A-Bear type store. Sitting in one of the bins was this adorable frog un-stuffed animal. I left the store (with a moose named Zayn in hand) only to return the next day to purchase the frog. My older daughter refused for him to go naked, so he was wearing a simple pair of white pants. The day after returning from vacation, I dragged out my crochet hooks and yarn, getting to work to bring to life Harry's FroggieDoggie! I hope he is as you all pictured him, because he is for me. Now my children and I are working out custody agreements (I'm lucky I got him long enough to take pictures).  
>   
> Thank you again to everyone, for everything. Time to close the book (never permanently) on this story and move onto the next one in my folder. Hope to see you all soon!
> 
> xx-Joey

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos, comments, or come talk to me on [tumblr](http://josjournal.tumblr.com), or [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/JolynnMG). I really enjoy meeting new people!


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